Pre-Kindergarten

The Pre-Kindergarten program is designed to help children acquire new skills and experiences that will help them in Kindergarten. A variety of manipulatives are used such as play dough, cutting, coloring and lacing to help students develop fine-motor skills. The children have opportunities to choose their own activities from learning centers such as math, dramatic play, puzzles, games, blocks, and books. The children work individually and in small groups.

Students are given many opportunities to enjoy listening to poems and stories. They are read to daily, both for fun and for finding new information. Songs and finger-plays are also used to teach a variety of concepts. The alphabet letters and sounds are introduced but are not expected to be mastered during the Pre-Kindergarten year.

Many opportunities are provided for the children to learn appropriate social skills. Students are encouraged to treat others respectfully and to try to solve their own problems when they arise.

Pre-Kindergarten should be an exciting and positive learning experience for each child. Our goal is to help the children learn to love learning so they will begin Kindergarten with a positive attitude and outlook on school.

Language Arts:

In Pre-kindergarten we introduce the alphabet using the short vowel sounds. We use poems, short stories, songs, artwork, finger plays, and various activities to teach letter recognition and sounds. We read to the children daily and often have a special theme or topic that we read about for a week. We have a daily calendar time to help learn the days of the week and the months.

Texts:

• Houghton Mifflin Pre-K Curriculum

Supplemental Materials:

• AlphaTales, Letter of the Week, My Letter Book, Animal Poems A-Z, Alphabet Hidden Pictures, Alphabet Stories
• Assorted worksheets, games, and activities

Methods:

Poems, stories, songs, games, and finger plays are used to learn letter recognition and sounds. Story time often coordinates the stories with the letter that is being learned. Synonyms, antonyms, and rhyming words are introduced. The students’ memory and listening skills are developed through the repetitious nature of the songs, rhymes, and finger plays. A daily journal page is completed by drawing a picture and writing sentences to describe the picture. A sharing day is held once a week to encourage the children to bring an item from home, talk about the item in front of the class, and then share the item with their fellow students. Guests read aloud from a variety book styles on a regular basis.

Mathematics:

The Pre-Kindergarten students are introduce to mathematics through use of patterns, time concepts, measurements, data classification, number operation and problem solving.

Text:

• Everyday Mathematics for Pre –K (The University of Chicago School Mathematics Project)

Supplemental Materials:

• Patterning & Sequencing, Classifying, Money, Sort, Graph, & Tally, Measurement, (all by Teacher Created Resources)
• 600 Manipulatives & Activities for Early Learners (Scholastic)
• Assorted games and activities

Methods:

A daily calendar time is used to introduce number recognition to 31, months and days of the week. Various manipulatives and games are used to encourage counting. Simple shapes are introduced and concepts such as more/less, short/tall, large/small, etc. Basic coin value recognition is introduced. Center-based activities are utilized daily that reinforce mathematical thinking. Minute Math activities are incorporated throughout the day.

Science:

The students are introduced to science through a variety of activities that allow them to observe, explore and investigate the world around them. Concepts are exposed using familiar items found in the students’ everyday life such as plants, animals and the environment.

Texts:

• Houghton Mifflin Pre-K Curriculum

Supplemental Materials:

• Daily Weather Chart, various books, color pages and field trips.

Methods:

Students observe the daily weather, pick appropriate clothing and record the type of weather on a graph. Animals, their environments and life cycles are introduced through various books and tapes. Nature walks are taken to allow the students to see and experience the local environment. The students make original art works based on their science experiences.

Social Studies:

The students become aware of their community and the world around them. They discover qualities, interests, skills and traditions that make everyone unique. History is explored through family relationships and how everyday life has changed. We are all different but we have the same feelings, needs and wants.

Texts:

• Houghton Mifflin Pre-K Curriculum

Supplemental Materials:

• Various coloring pages, books, songs, finger plays, and visual aids.

Methods:

Center-based activities that allow the student to experiment with different roles in the community are participated in daily. Holidays are celebrated throughout the year to expose the students to a variety of cultural and historical events. Students are encouraged to share cultural heritage.

Bible:

The Pre-Kindergarten Bible program is a general overview of the Bible using the more interesting characters and stories that are appropriate for four and five year olds. The moral lessons from the stories are applied to the student’s daily lives. Students are taught that God created the world, everything in it and that God loves and cares for them. Through the Bible curriculum the students are encourage to care for and respect other children and their feelings.

Texts:

• Betty Lukens’ Through the Bible in Felt (Betty Lukens, Inc.)
• Bible Story Coloring Pages (with stories)

Supplemental Materials:

• Various coloring pages, songs, finger plays, and visual aids.

Methods:

Our program is a simple overview of significant Bible stories and characters. We read some modern stories and apply the moral lessons to our lives. Songs and finger plays are used to help students remember these stories.