Curriculum Summary
The goal of our Progressive Pre-Kindergarten program is to prepare each student for the transition into Kindergarten. Our program supports effective teaching practices and opportunities for child discovery through the following skill domains:
- Social and Emotional Development
- Language and Communication
- Emergent Literacy Reading
- Emergent Literacy Writing
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social Studies
- Fine Arts
- Physical Development
Our Progressive Pre-Kindergarten program delivers developmentally appropriate experiences for the learning needs of all students to help ensure an effective, efficient Pre-Kindergarten experience. Our program provides challenging curriculum which actively involves students in thinking, reasoning and communicating with others. We strive to build connections between subject matter by organizing the information students must learn into a set of meaningful concepts.
Literacy Program
The Letter People Literacy program aligns to national and state Pre-Kindergarten standards. It is developmentally appropriate, meeting the needs of all Pre-Kindergarten children. There is a strong focus on language and communication, emergent literacy reading and emergent literacy writing as well as the following skills development:
- Print awareness
- Oral language and listening skills
- Phonological and phonemic awareness
- Alphabetic knowledge: letter identification and sound/symbol association
- Vocabulary development
- Writing and spelling (journaling)
Math Program
The Hands-On Standards Math Curriculum is used to teach a wide variety of topics in mathematics.
- sorting-a premathamatical skill that aids in comprehension of patterns and functions
- ordering-a premathamatical skill that enhances number sense and other math-related abilities
- distinguishing patterns-the foundation for making mathematical generalizations
- recognizing geometric shapes and understanding relationships among them
- making measurements, using both nonstandard and standard units with application to both two-and three dimensional objects
- understanding the base-ten system of numbers
- comprehending mathematical operations-addition, subtraction
- recognizing relationships among mathematical operations
- exploring and describing spatial relationships
- identifying and describing different types of symmetry
- developing and utilizing special memory
- engaging in problem solving
- representing mathematical ideas in a variety of ways
- connecting different concepts in mathematics
- communicating mathematical ideas effectively
Learning Centers
Centers are integrated learning at its best. Children talk (oral language); use small motor skills (physical coordination); work together on a shared project (social skills); sort toys as they put them away (math); discover how to make bubbles (science); follow the picture directions for storing blocks (reading); and make a grocery list (writing). Learning occurs in a meaningful ways in all areas during center time.
When playing in centers, young children:
- Make choices, developing confidence in their problem-solving abilities.
- Expand their oral language, combining words with their activity.
- Enhance their creative abilities, determining the direction of their play and selecting materials.
- Develop social skills as they work with others.
- Understand others as they try out roles and participate in related play sequences.
- Develop responsibility as they care for and build with the materials they are using.
- Learn how to make plans and follow through to completion, developing persistence on a task
- Move into more advanced play as they develop roles, sequencing and working cooperatively with others in the episodes.
- Develop longer attention spans as they increase the length of time they work in centers and participate in activities that interest them.
- Develop their understanding of symbols as they use concrete items in their play and move to imaginative representations.
- Enhance their self-image as they learn that they can influence their world while participating in the center.
- Experience integrated learning as they use all ares of the curriculum in meaningful ways.
Science
Children are curious about the things in their world. We encourage exploration in science where children become scientists, learning about materials they have seen, or exploring new items that capture their interest. Our science curriculum is hands-on covering everything from seeds to stars.
Children will experiment with:
- Balancing/Scales
- Magnification
- Beginning Measurement
- Sea Life
- Earth & Environment
- Seasons & Weather
- Five Senses
- Space & Science
- Insects & Spiders
- Animal Habitats
- Magnet Exploration
- Pond Life
Social Studies
Our Social Studies curriculum focuses on the heritage of the past, contemporary living and culture, the nature of people and their world, holiday celebrations and important people. The children will gain an understanding of their culture and environmental world, beginning with their family, then moving to the world around them. Children come from a variety of cultural and linguistic settings, therefore it is important that we incorporate and honor the child’s home, community and diversity.
Children will learn about:
- People, past and present
- Geography
- Citizenship
- United States National Holidays
- American Symbols
Fine Arts
Children will learn:
- Art Skills: Children will be offered many art experiences with a wide variety of materials to help them make discoveries about color, shape and texture. Control of fine- motor muscles and practice of hand-eye coordination will be emphasized.
- Dramatic Expression and Creative Movement Skills: Children will be encouraged to demonstrate their interpretation of music, songs and stories through movement and dramatic experiences.
- Music Skills: Children will be encouraged to express themselves through music, movement and by playing simple instruments.
Unit Themes
September
- Friends
- Colors
- Apples
- Trees
- Classroom Community
October
- Seasons
- Changing leaves
- Pumpkins
- Nocturnal animals
- Fire safety
November
- Native Americans
- Pilgrims
- Tree nuts
- Turkeys
- Scarecrows
December
- Holiday traditions
- Birth of Jesus
- Shapes
January
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Arctic Animals
- Snow & Ice
- Winter Animal Homes
February
- Healthy Teeth
- US Postal Service
- Valentine’s Day
- Groundhog Day
- Presidents’ Day
March
- Kites
- Wind
- Clouds
- Dinosaurs
- Maple Sugaring
- St Patrick’s Day
April
- Rain
- Mud
- Easter
- Eggs
- Butterflies
May/June
- Pond life
- Seeds
- Flowers
- Farm animals
- Insects
- Mother’s Day
- Father’s Day
Half-Day Schedule (9:00am-12:00pm)
- Child Arrival & Independent Activities
- Snack Time (provided by NCLC)
- Circle Time (Pledge, Calendar, Weather, Show & Tell/Sharing, Songs)
- Literacy Program
- Learning Centers (teacher guided and child directed) Children will be actively involved in pursuing their personal interests and developing their readiness skills. It involves working in different centers throughout the room. Materials in these centers change from day to day and theme to theme.
- Recess (outside time, weather permitting, or Gym time)
- Specialty Classes (Music/Movement/Christian Ed)
Full-Day Schedule (9:00am – 2:00pm)
- Child Arrival & independent Activities
- Snack Time (provided by NCLC)
- Circle Time (Pledge, Calendar, Weather, Show & Tell/Sharing, Songs)
- Literacy Program
- Learning Centers (teacher guided and child directed) Children will be actively involved in pursuing their personal interests and developing their readiness skills. It involves working in different centers throughout the room. Materials in these centers change from day to day and theme to theme.
- Recess (outside time, weather permitting, or Gym time)
- Specialty Classes (Music/ Movement/Christian Ed)
- Lunch Time (provided by NCLC)
- Math
- Science/Social Studies
- Recess (outside time, weather permitting, or Gym time)
**Child care is available from 6:30am to 9:00am and from 2:00pm to 5:30pm**