A typical day in our

              Pre-Kindergarten Program
Text Box: Welcome/Table Activates: As students come in the room they hang up coats and bags. They then choose a table activity. We provide a blend of familiar and new activities and allow the students to define their own rules for their use. Limiting the students to only a few choices at this time helps maintain a sense of calm in our room which assists students with separation from parents and mental preparation to focus on our learning time. Bible Study: Studies have shown that students most remember the first and last things they do while in school. With this in mind, we begin our formal learning time each day with the Lord to model for students the importance of keeping God in our hearts and the foundation for all we do. Daily Bible lessons, devotions and prayers reinforce monthly learning themes. In addition to our class study, students attend weekly Chapel Services and often participate in Bible study in other classrooms. Choice and “Must Do” Centers: Many important skills are mastered during this “free-play” time. The students use name tags as “tickets” to the centers, encouraging the mastery of name recognition. Further this ticket system requires students to be responsible for ensuring the proper number of students in each center. Guidelines are not set for the amount of time spent in each area allowing students to develop their own choice-making skills. During center time we frequently have at least one “must-do” center. Must do centers include activities such as: art or science projects, rainbow writing, educational games and small group reading and math instruction. Cleanup Time: Cleanup time helps the students learn responsibility for their environment. They check each area to ensure all items are properly put away. This time also builds teamwork skills as students help each other clean up to make sure we “beat the clock.” Songs/Finger Plays: This short group time helps the students re-focus after choice time. We work on a new song each month and revisit old favorites. The songs and poems reinforce our monthly Biblical theme and help us to master language skills we need to become independent readers. Calendar Time: Students explore the calendar while learning math concepts such as number sense, measurement, geometry, prediction and logical thinking activities. Students also enjoy group activities that reinforce counting and number recognition. Snack: Snack is a special social time. We begin by thanking the friend that provided snack and inviting Jesus to be our guest through prayer. The students learn to hold quiet conversations with friends seated at the same table. Snack time introduces us to a variety of new foods and provides another opportunity for students to practice responsibility as they clean up their space before preparing to go outdoors. Outdoor Time: Please don’t tell the students, but learning is ongoing in our class – even when we are outdoors! First we practice our helping skills by assisting our friends with zippers, buttons, hats and mittens. Students discover that the faster everyone gets ready, the more time we have to spend outdoors. They love to practice counting when we are outside because we can get very loud without bothering our neighbors. Whether we are playing on the playground, in the field, or on the blacktop the students receive lots of practice taking turns and challenging their own physical skills with climbing, jumping, throwing, catching and swinging. Story Time: After we return to the room, we spend our last group time of the day working on literacy. We rhyme, review letters, listen to and discuss a story. It is also during this time that the students have the opportunity to practice their own reading skills as we blend the letters we have learned into simple words. The students are very excited about learning to read and never let us forget this part of our day! Sharing: Finally, our special helper shares the special item s/he brought from home. After telling us a little bit about the shared item, classmates get to ask questions about the item. It can take some time to learn to ask questions rather than tell stories, but the students become quite skilled at asking and answering “wh” questions. Table Activities/Goodbyes: Our return to table activities brings our learning day full circle. The students enjoy these familiar games and can leave with the knowledge that the game/activity they were involved with will be available another day. Communication with Parents: We send home weekly newsletters, providing parents with the highlights of the events in our classroom, upcoming events and hints for working at home. Conferences are held twice a year, and parents are always welcome to bring questions to the teacher.