Preschool Curriculum
(Two - Five Year Olds)
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As we begin, let us review several key principles that are the basis of our preschool program:
Social Emotional Growth
Children learn best when they have developed the social and emotional components that define the behaviors and attitudes that enable them to function productively and collaboratively in school and society.
Whole Child Focus
Whole Child Focus
Children are best prepared when early education focuses on the whole child, covering all domains – social, emotional, cognitive, physical and spiritual.
Learning Environment
Purposeful Play
As teachers plan for young children’s learning, teachers encourage the rich learning that occurs in children’s self-initiated play and introducing purposeful instructional activities. Purposeful play promotes active involvement in learning and provides children with opportunities to practice Bible, language, math, science, social studies and other skills in context (natural settings).
Additionally, through play, children develop social-interaction skills, extend and expand their understanding of the world, and acquire critical cognitive skills including problem-solving and decision-making. As children grow, they expand their ‘executive functions’ to include the ability to focus and ignore distractions, retain and use new information, plan and revise actions as needed, and inhibit impulsive behaviors.
Preschool learning occurs best the environment, supports children’s self-initiated play, selecting appropriate materials and planning and implementing teacher-guided learning activities.
In keeping with these stated principles, the following outcomes are set forth as integral to the development of a curriculum that addresses the needs of the whole child. While these outcomes are grouped in domains, children do not learn in isolation but through integration. The expectation is that these skills will be accomplished by the end of PreK.
Spiritual Development
​Spiritual development is the cornerstone of our preschool. Children begin and end their day with prayer, hear a variety of Bible Stories, attend weekly Chapel services with the rest of the school, and enjoy singing songs to praise God. Luther's Small Catechism
Social & Emotional Development
The areas addressed are self-awareness, interpersonal awareness, self-regulation, self-expression, communication, social interaction, and stages of play.
Language Arts Standards
Foundational Skills - Print concepts, Phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition.
Literature Skills -Expressing key ideas and details, Word meaning and components of a book, Group reading, Develop a love of reading
Informational Text – Recall key ideas from informational pictures and texts, Identify calendars and schedules are common forms of informational texts, Compare and contrast key details, Actively engage in group reading with purpose and understanding
Writing – Use appropriate grip for increased control in writing and drawing, Draw pictures to represent writing, Participate in shared writing, Trace and copy letters and environmental print, Write own name
Speaking and Listening – Comprehension and collaboration, Present ideas using age-appropriate language
Language – Understand and use age-appropriate grammar, Use question words, Use frequently occurring prepositions, Understand and use increasingly complex words to express meaning, Understand and use accepted words for everyday activities
Math Standards
Counting and Number Sense – Count from 1 to 30, understand the relationship between numbers and quantity, Represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0-10, Identify number of objects in a group using one-to-one correspondence
Operations and Algebraic Thinking – Represent addition and subtraction using objects and situations, Solve simple addition and subtraction real-life problems
Measurement and Data – Compare and classify objects by a specific attribute, Sort and classify objects into a given category, Name days of the week and months of the year, Demonstrate concepts of time (morning, lunch, afternoon, night, etc.)
Geometry – Identify, describe and build common 2-dimensional objects (circle, square), Describe the relative positions of objects (above, below, etc.), Recognize, describe and create a repeating pattern
Science Standards
Physical Science - Describe objects in terms of the material they are made of (wood, metal, etc), Identify common physical properties of objects (size, color, shape, etc.), Explore heat, sound, light and movement, Sort and classify objects by their common physical properties
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Life Science - Name common plants and animals, Identify plants and animals as living objects, Describe the stages of life (birth, growth, death), Explore the structures of plants and animals
Earth Science - Identify and describe the four seasons Identify and describe types of weather Explore objects in the solar system
Investigation and Experimentation- Use the five senses to explore the environment and make observations, Communicate observations both orally and visually
Social Studies Standards
Citizenship - Identify traits of a good citizen (responsibility, honesty, cooperation), Identify models of good citizenship, Connect being a good citizen in the classroom with being a good citizen in the community, Identify and explain common jobs in their school and community
Geography - Identify the relative locations of places (home, school, park, etc.), Compare and contrast maps and globes, Create a map of the classroom or other familiar location
History - Categorize time increments (minutes, hours, days, weeks, months), Demonstrate an understanding of past, present, future in relation to personal events (yesterday, last week, next week, upcoming birthday, etc.), Explain the meaning of holidays.
Fine Arts Standards
Visual Art - Name common art materials, Name primary and secondary colors, Use two-dimensional shapes to create works of art, Represent objects, people and events in works of art Identify objects in own works of art, Express him/herself through art
Music - Identify and describe elements of music (tempo, rhythm, etc.), Use movements to demonstrate an awareness of tempo and rhythm, Use singing to demonstrate and awareness of tempo, rhythm, pitch, Sing age-appropriate songs from memory, Demonstrate appropriate performer and audience skills
Drama - Identify and differentiate between real and imaginary characters Perform imitative moves (freeze, statues, etc.), Engage in pretend play with others, Act out assigned roles, Create and act out new roles
Physical Education Standards
Safety - Use materials appropriately, Practice emergency drills
Fine Motor - Use tools for their intended purpose, Build and construct with a variety of materials, Squeeze, pinch, button, zip, snap, stir, Cut shapes, objects and lines, Use appropriate grasp for writing, drawing and coloring, Trace and write letters, Use dominant hand most of the time.
Gross Motor - Ability to balance, Demonstrate the ability to run, jump, hop, skip, and climb, Move forward, backwards and side-to-side, Throw and catch, Pour from containers
Physical Activities - Understand directionality (under, over, behind, next to), Distinguish between right and left, Begin to understand and respect personal space, Participate in individual and group physical activities
Health - Identify healthy foods, Understand and explain the need for rest and exercise, Develop endurance in physical activities
