About bet yeladim preschool

Bet Yeladim is an award-winning Jewish preschool in Columbia, MD, dedicated to providing exceptional early childhood education for children 8 weeks to 5 years in a nurturing, values-based environment. 

For almost five decades, families across Howard County have trusted us to help their infants and children grow into curious, confident, and compassionate individuals.

At Bet Yeladim, we:

•Nurture every child’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development through play-based learning, hands-on experiences, and individualized attention.

•Foster independence, creativity, and self-expression, encouraging children to explore the world around them in meaningful ways.

•Instill lifelong values like kindness, respect, and responsibility, all taught through a Jewish lens and embedded into daily classroom life.

Our Philosophy

We follow an Emergent Curriculum approach, guided by The Creative Curriculum, which centers learning around each child’s natural interests. Instead of isolating subjects like math, literacy, and science into blocks of time, we integrate them seamlessly into play, discovery, and real-world exploration. Children are active participants in their own learning—asking questions, conducting investigations, and collaborating with peers.

Our classrooms are thoughtfully designed to serve as dynamic learning environments where every corner is an opportunity for growth. Our educators act as guides and facilitators, observing and documenting children’s progress, and supporting them through long-term projects that build critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills.

The four pillars of our Emergent Curriculum include:

•The Environment – Designed to spark curiosity and independent exploration

•The Role of the Educator – Serving as observers, collaborators, and facilitators of learning

•Observation & Documentation – Understanding each child’s development to tailor meaningful experiences

•Project Work & Practice – Deep, collaborative learning around real-world topics and themes