Tustin is one of those Orange County communities that feels purpose-built for family life. Tree-lined streets, proximity to great schools, access to Irvine’s research and tech corridor, and a downtown that still feels like a real neighborhood. For parents raising young children here in 2026, Tustin checks a lot of boxes and for many families, finding a preschool that matches the quality and intentionality they bring to every other part of their lives is the next important step.

At Newport Ave Preschool & Kindergarten, we’ve been that school for Tustin families for over 15 years.

This spring is a particularly important moment for families with 4- and 5-year-olds. Tustin Unified School District kindergarten enrollment is well underway for fall 2026, and parents who are thinking ahead which Tustin parents tend to do are asking a critical question: is my child’s preschool actually preparing them, or just keeping them busy?

That’s not a small question. The gap between children who arrive at kindergarten ready to read and those who don’t is measurable, real, and often traced directly back to the quality of early childhood education. At Newport Ave Preschool, our academic program is built specifically to close that gap before it ever opens.

Here’s what makes our spring curriculum stand out this year:

Our STEAM programming is in full bloom. In March, our preschool and Pre-K classrooms are deep into hands-on science and engineering challenges that build the critical thinking skills kindergarten teachers in Tustin and Irvine report as the most important predictors of early academic success. Children aren’t completing worksheets they’re building, experimenting, observing, and talking about what they discover. That kind of active learning encodes information in a way that passive instruction simply can’t match.

Our Dual Language Program is one of our most requested offerings. In 2026, bilingualism is not just a cultural asset it’s a cognitive one. Research consistently shows that children raised with two languages develop stronger executive function, better attention control, and greater flexibility in problem-solving. For Tustin and Irvine families who want to give their child every possible advantage, our dual language track is one of the most powerful tools we offer. And spring is a great time to start young children are language sponges, and our immersive approach makes acquisition feel completely natural.

For families in Irvine who are looking across the border into Tustin, our Newport Ave location is close, accessible, and frankly worth the drive. Parents who have moved out of the Tustin area and still chose to commute back tell us the same thing: the community here, the teachers, and the program are worth it.

For families in Orange or Santa Ana who want a program that’s more rigorous than what they’ve toured closer to home, Newport Ave Preschool is a short drive down the 55 and the caliber of education your child receives will be immediately apparent.

Spring also brings our popular Pre-K to Kindergarten transition conversations. Each March, we offer parent meetings where we talk openly about what the kindergarten journey looks like for children at different developmental stages, how to advocate for your child in their new school, and what skills to focus on during the summer before kindergarten starts. These conversations have become one of the most loved parts of our spring programming, and they’re open to current families as well as prospective families who want to get a sense of who we are.

If your child will be turning 5 before September 1st, 2026, now is the time to visit Newport Ave Preschool and make sure they are in the right learning environment for the most important academic launch of their life. And if you have a toddler between 18 months and 3 years, our younger classrooms are warm, nurturing spaces where the foundations of language, social connection, and early learning are built with care every single day.

Tustin is a great place to raise a family. Newport Ave Preschool is where great Tustin families send their kids to learn.

Schedule your spring tour at newportavepreschool.com. We’d love to meet you.