Preschool Curriculum

Surrounded by a print-rich environment, children are encouraged to participate in literacy activities in a warm, stimulating, and creative atmosphere. Language development and self-expression are an integral part of the Junior Pre-Kindergarten curriculum. Children learn to express themselves verbally as they build their vocabulary through stories, books, dramatic play, singing, meeting time, and individual portfolios. Interactive read aloud opportunities invite children to discuss and share their thinking. Children begin to absorb and recognize the print they see in their daily lives and demonstrate their expanding knowledge by enthusiastically retelling and acting out the stories they’ve heard. Throughout the year, Junior Pre-Kindergarten students come to see themselves as a community of learners who appreciate listening and telling stories and enjoy participating in imaginative and innovative literacy activities.

As children navigate their world, they become natural problem solvers. Child-initiated math questions provide insight into thinking, reasoning, and interest. It honors children’s abilities to invest in, make sense of and quantify their world. Opportunities to explore numbers, space, shape, and measurement are the catalyst for further investigations and deep, meaningful learning.

Children also engage in scientific explorations as they investigate their natural surroundings and the seasonal changes. Through activities such as nature walks, experiments, and hands-on scientific observations, students gain powerful insight about nature and the world that surrounds them.

The World Language program begins in Junior Pre-K with the study of French and Spanish for one semester each. All classwork is oral and play-based in order to nurture enthusiasm for learning a new language while building strategies for developing listening comprehension. Material is presented in meaningful communicative contexts through activities using manipulatives, music, games, dance, and other media. Basic communication is an ongoing part of every day’s classroom activities.

Students in Junior Pre-K are introduced to some of the basic elements of dance such as using different levels or planes and pathways, in addition to actions and movements. They begin to develop their basic motor skills such as jumping and galloping and begin to develop spatial awareness.

Our Junior Pre-K music program develops skills in listening, socialization, and exploration through musical play.  We use percussion instruments in stories, songs, and musical games to build awareness of rhythm, phrasing, and tempo.  Our “Cozy Cub Concerts” bring guests into the classroom to play and talk about different instruments in the community of an orchestra.

The physical education curriculum for Junior Pre-K has been designed to provide activities that allow your child to have fun playing while developing better social and motor skills. Through play, children will build strength, self-confidence, concentration, and better coordination. Class activities lend themselves to improving their social skills as they play with classmates, share equipment and take turns following the Be-Attitudes of Physical Education: Be Kind, Be Gentle, Be Safe.

Social emotional learning (SEL) is a key component of the Learn. Live. Wonder. program. We focus on self-awareness, students’ emotions, and self-regulation. During these units, students will explore coherence building techniques such as the Heart Warmer™ Technique and other mindfulness activities.

The Pre-Kindergarten literacy curriculum supports language and literacy learning through exploration and communication. Teachers model literacy strategies and foster a love of reading in both small and whole group settings. Children dictate stories, make class books, and engage in a variety of creative literacy activities. Letter and sound recognition is formally introduced through carefully designed lessons and multi-sensory activities. Children develop their listening skills and strengthen their public speaking skills during specific sharing activities, as well as thematic celebrations throughout the year. Within this print-rich and joyful environment, children develop a love of reading and writing, which provides a strong foundation for future literacy skills.

Mathematics concepts and skills are developed as students explore problems initiated through literature contexts and everyday interactions. Students then engage in purposeful activities designed to deepen understanding of the concept or skill. The curriculum focuses on beginning number skills, shape identification, classification, creating patterns, comparative measurement and spatial sense. Intentional opportunities and experiences empower children to think and reason mathematically, communicate their ideas, and develop a sense of inquiry and wonder.

Young children are naturally curious and excited about their world. Science experiences in the classroom and outdoors provide opportunities to explore, enhance observational skills and build on their sense of wonder. The science units are theme based and seasonal. They include the key components of physical science, life science, earth and the environment. In Pre-Kindergarten, the following directions of approach are used in the exploration of science topics:

1. Teacher-initiated experiences planned for in advance and introduced to the children.
2. Child-initiated experiences, which grow from something a child brings in to share or directly from the students’ expressed interests.
3. The teacher takes advantage of teachable moments to explore incidental happenings in the environment.

Students continue to study French and Spanish for one semester each. All classwork is oral and play-based in order to nurture enthusiasm for learning a second language while building strategies for developing listening comprehension. Material is presented in meaningful communicative contexts through activities using manipulatives, music, games, dance, and other media. Basic communication is an ongoing part of every day’s classroom activities.

Knowledge of subjects covered in the classroom is strengthened and enhanced through creative movement. Students in Pre-K continue to develop spatial awareness, body shapes, and basic motor skills such as hopping on one foot and skipping, while using their creative energy to interpret movement stories as well as different objects such as leaves, and ice cubes. 

Our Pre-K students explore a diverse world of music. Through folk songs, stories, instruments and performances these young students — Sing, Say, Play, Create! Our music games help students develop their fine motor skills and confidence to express themselves creatively. The students use percussion instruments and handbells to build awareness of rhythm, phrasing, and tempo. Through this curriculum, students embrace listening, socialization, and a willingness to explore all types of music.

The physical education curriculum for Pre-K has been designed to provide activities that allow your child to have fun playing while developing better social and motor skills. Musical activities and low organizational games aid in developing multiple skills and concepts while allowing for the refinement of their gross motor skills. Very basic sport skill concepts are introduced so that each child can begin to understand how to perform skills using the proper technique.

Social emotional learning (SEL) is a key component of the Learn. Live. Wonder. program. We focus on self-awareness, students’ emotions, and self-regulation. During these units, students will explore coherence building techniques such as the Heart Warmer™ Technique and other mindfulness activities.