Pre-Kindergarten (3's) Curriculum Information:The three year old preschool program is a lightly structured school-readiness program. Cooperation, participation, and socialization are key components of this first school experience. The major goal is to expose children to a variety of learning centers and activities so they can use their senses to explore and discover through teacher and self-directed play. Through play, children develop skills in five areas.
Children grow spiritually by daily participation at Jesus Time. Children direct their worship to the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The CPH Voyages curriculum is used to explore God's Word. Through Bible stories, children learn to apply God's truths to their daily lives. Most importantly, children learn about their relationship with Jesus, the Savior of teh world. Children learn Bible verses and songs that correlate with a new leasson each week. The Christmas and Easter units are highlights of the year. Children express their feelings and thoughts in prayer.
Children develop cognitive skills when math and science concepts are taught. Through chosen themes, children learn about the weather, holidays, seasons, their bodies, animals, insects, and plants. Children learn to count, sort, classify, and compare. They identify shapes and colors.
To foster the social-emotional development of children, teachers model and praise appropriate behavior and show why certain
behavior is not acceptable. Children practice social skills, learn self-control, and develop early friendships. Independence and responsibility are learned through daily assigned jobs and caring for their own personal hygiene, and dressing themselves for outdoor play.
Children develop physically by performing large and small motor skills. The gym is used for the following large motor activities: running, hopping, jumping, galloping, tiptoeing, marching, walking, throwing, catching, kicking, balancing, and dancing. Simple games are played and record and CD-directed activities are performed. Children use balls, hoops, scooters, ribbons, scarves, and beanbags in teacher directed activities as well as free play. The new playground is used during cooperative weather.
Small motor activities include: drawing, building, doing puzzles, creating with play dough, gluing, and painting. Art activities are planned to reinforce shapes, colors, or themes of the month. There is a balance of open-ended and “project” art. The emphasis is on the process no the product.
Language development is divided into two areas: speaking and listening. Children learn to express their feelings, needs, and wants by using words and not inappropriate actions. Children “practice” everyday situations in the dramatic play center. They play house, school, store, or pretend with puppets and stuffed animals. During group and transition time children participate in songs and finger plays. Children perform a short program at Christmas time and also a closing program at the end of the year. Share Time gives children an opportunity to speak while others listen. Story Time and Rhyme Time take place daily. There is a classroom library and listening center. Exposure to written language occurs at group time. Let’s Find Out papers are used weekly. Children learn to recognize their names, follow simple directions, and adjust to a classroom routine.
The Pre-Kindergarten curriculum is incorporating components of teh SMART/Boostup program and elements of Ready Bodies, Learning Minds.
