Welcome to 4K at The Learning Gardens!
The Learning Gardens has emphasized kindergarten readiness as a core component of our curriculum for many years, and our 4K program reflects that commitment. Our 4K teachers bring extensive experience, specialized training, and a strong understanding of early childhood development. We are proud to offer a program staffed with teachers who bring extensive experience in early childhood education, ensuring that children receive high-quality, developmentally aligned instruction each day.
Our curriculum continues to feature age-appropriate, child-directed activities supported by the Frog Street social and emotional curriculum, which plays a key role in building early executive thinking skills. Through structured routines and meaningful interactions, children practice self-regulation, problem-solving, flexible thinking, and cooperative social skills—all essential foundations for future academic success.
Teachers maintain an individualized portfolio for each child, allowing them to track growth, assess developmental progress, and identify specific goals to support ongoing learning. This approach ensures that instruction is personalized and responsive to each learner’s needs.
Families may also notice several positive enhancements to the program, including increased more detailed and developmentally appropriate assessments tailored specifically to four-year-olds, and a wider range of services and instructional materials made possible through our partnership with the Madison Metropolitan School District.
The Learning Gardens through the Madison Metropolitan School District, providing families with access to a nurturing, research-based 4K experience that supports both academic and social-emotional development.
Students may open-enroll into The Learning Gardens through the Madison Metropolitan School District which provides families with access to a nurturing, research-based 4K experience that supports both academic and social-emotional development.
4K/Preschool Unit Rooms
Sunshines Room
4K/Preschool Unit Teachers
Andrew
Preschool & 4K Units Support Teacher, Summer Camp, and School Age Teacher
Lisa
Sunshines Teacher
MMSD 4K Program Full-day
The Learning Gardens is open 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., providing full-time hours that support families who need consistent, reliable care throughout the workday.
Children enrolled in the MMSD 4K program participate in classroom instruction from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. Before and after these hours, we offer full wrap-around care, ensuring your child has a seamless day of learning, play, and support. Our 4K teachers remain with the children throughout the entire day, providing comfort, consistency, and continuous learning beyond the morning.
Tuition is charged at our preschool rate to cover all non-4K instructional time and wrap-around care. All extracurricular activities—Art, Music, ASL, Spanish, and Amazing Athletes—are included in tuition, along with morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack, giving families peace of mind and a well-rounded experience for their child.
A one-time $40 registry fee helps cover the cost of high-quality instructional materials provided by the school district.
At The Learning Gardens, we aim to make your child’s day—and your family’s routine—as smooth, supportive, and enriching as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an age cutoff for 4K?
There is an age cut off for children to attend 4K. They must be 4 years old on or before September 1. At this time MMSD does not have a process in place for early entrance to 4K.
Where/how will enrollment occur?
Families can enroll online at mmsd.org/enroll, and then follow up to complete the enrollment process at any K-5 elementary school by printing off their enrollment, and bringing a copy of their child’s birth certificate and proof of address to the school. Those who are not able to enroll online may choose to complete the entire enrollment process at any K-5 elementary school.
When will families be notified of the child’s placement?
Parents will receive an email or letter of their child’s placement within 4 weeks of enrollment. For families applying closer to the start of the school year in September, notifications will be sent within a 2 week timeframe.
Do partnering Early Care and Education (ECE) centers have to accept any family that wishes to enroll for 4K?
Acceptance at any site will be contingent upon space parameters and enrollment requirements set by individual Early Care and Education (ECE) centers. However, partnering ECE centers may not discriminate based upon sex, race, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation or physical, mental, emotional or learning disability.
Is there a fee for 4K?
The 4K program is tuition free; however, there is a $40 materials fee families pay at the beginning of the school year.
Will a specific curriculum be required by MMSD?
A curriculum and assessment subcommittee, comprised of MMSD Preschool Resource Teachers as well as ECE providers, has defined that the 4K curricula must be developmentally appropriate, align with the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS) and Accreditation criteria, be play-based, research based, inclusive of culture, race, social class, gender, languages and needs, and designed to promote partnerships with families. Individual centers may design their own unique programming to meet these requirements. MMSD school sites utilize Frog Street curriculum.
What assessments are used in 4K?
GOLD (Creative Curriculum)
Is 4K required?
Enrollment in 4K is not required by the state of Wisconsin. A law took effect on October 21, 2009 (WI Act 41) requiring attendance for five year olds enrolled in kindergarten. 4K attendance is optional and is not affected by this new law.
What are the days/hours of the program?
The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) requires a minimum of 437 hours of instruction per school year.
MMSD: Early Start Schools – Tuesday-Friday, 7:35 AM to 10:39 AM; 11:20 AM to 2:37 PM
Late Start Schools – Tuesday-Friday, 8:20 AM to 11:24 AM; 12:05 PM to 3:22 PM
ECE Centers: Varies per center site In ECE sites, the center will have discretion, subject to MMSD’s approval, around the weekly days and times of the program, as long as the DPI minimum requirement of 437 hours per year is met. Please note: exact hours for 4K programs in MMSD school sites may vary slightly from year to year based on the school year calendar.
Can 4K programs be multiage?
MMSD is supportive of multi-age environments; MMSD school sites do not have multi-age programs. ECE sites determine if their program will be multi-age.
What is the required teacher-to-child ratio for a 4K classroom?
DPI does not have a required child/teacher ratio for 4K. MMSD school sites have approximately a 1:18 ratio. ECE centers are City of Madison and/or National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accredited, requiring no more than 1:10 with no more than 20 students in any one classroom.
Parents/families may expect that there would be no fees or a reduction of fees for their child’s extended care at ECE centers due to their participation in the 4K program. How can early ECE providers address this expectation?
By law, all children participating in the collaborative 4K program have rights to a “free public education.” Parents will be asked to complete an MMSD enrollment form, which becomes a commitment for the free services. ECE sites will have their own enrollment forms that indicate the fees for services provided for child care services for the remainder of the day outside of the 437 hours of 4K for those parents requesting the additional care. ECE centers are not required to adjust their fee schedule.
How will children learn, grow and develop?
- Literacy: vocabulary and language, phonological awareness, letters, words, print, comprehension, books and other texts, and sources of enjoyment
- Mathematics: numbers; patterns and relationships; geometry and spatial awareness; measurement; and data collection, organization, and representation
- Science: physical science, life science, and earth and the environment
- Social Studies: spaces and geography, people and how they live, people and the environment, and people and the past
- The Arts: dance, music, drama, and the visual arts
- Technology: awareness of technology, basic operations and concepts, technological tools, and people and technology
For More Information
Early & Extended Learning
545 West Dayton Street
Room 125
Madison, WI 53703
P: (608) 663-5211
F: (608) 442-3471