Children between the ages of three and five years are at a special time in their lives. During this period they begin to trust others outside the family. They develop independence, self-control, and learn to take initiative on their own. They are keen observers of the world, experimenting with their surroundings to find out what happens when they interact with people, objects, and situations. They use thousands of words, phrases, and sentences to communicate their ideas about the world. Physically, they are growing rapidly and gaining strength, agility, and coordination.

Over the past seventy-five years, research has revealed a great deal about how children develop during these important years. DC Bilingual Public Charter School implements a developmentally appropriate bilingual curriculum based on this body of research. The term developmentally appropriate curriculum simply means using the research on child development to inform our choices as educators.