PRESCHOOL
LANGUAGE ARTS:
Preschool students will be introduced to early print concepts, oral language, and phonics. They sing songs, recite nursery rhymes, and perform finger-plays to help develop early literacy skills. Preschool students will learn to recognize both upper and lowercase letters and their corresponding sounds. Students will retell stories and make captions for their drawings. Fine motor skills will be developed while drawing self portraits and tracing their name and letters while being encouraged to use their imagination. Preschoolers will develop their listening skills by following two-step directions and develop comprehension skills by answering questions about theme-based stories. Students are introduced to some literary authors including Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle. The children leave Preschool with a lifelong love of language and the written word.
MATH:
Preschoolers are introduced to basic mathematics. Students will gain knowledge of algebra by completing sequential patterns. Students will practice data analysis by sorting objects by color, shape, and size and by completing picture graphs that often correspond to their literature. Students will learn to recognize numbers and practice one-to-one correspondence. They measure length and weight using unconventional and standard units while practicing all mathematical concepts using fun, interactive manipulatives.
SCIENCE:
Students are introduced to the scientific method using storybooks and educational videos. Students are able to participate in exciting, hands-on science experiments that correspond to the literacy curriculum. They learn to explore their surroundings using all their senses while asking questions and making predictions.
SOCIAL STUDIES:
Preschoolers focus on developing good character and social skills through interaction with their peers and themed storybooks. Students will be introduced to community helpers, Virginia and Tennessee Maps, holidays and traditions, and the community around us. Students are introduced to important historical figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Christopher Columbus, and US Presidents. Students participate in the school character program by implementing the Monthly Character Trait and Manner of the Week.
SPANISH:
Spanish in Primary School is done as a hands-on approach. Later on, students will continue to develop vocabulary and pronunciation skills and an understanding of the target cultures through hands-on and culturally stimulating ways.
TECHNOLOGY:
Primary School technology classes focus on development of fine motor skills with use of the mouse and basic keyboard. Websites are utilized to reinforce classroom lessons. Beginning lessons in digital safety focus on staying on websites approved by teachers or parents.
ART:
The Preschool curriculum is designed to promote a positive self-image, sensory awareness, growing independence, and an eagerness to learn. Students will spend time learning the basic principles and materials used in different art making processes. Students will focus on primary colors and what happens when mixing colors.
MUSIC:
Preschool students are introduced to music and its concepts in their regular classroom, as well as, the music classroom. Young children engage in music as play. When offered a variety of drums and strikers, children play with sound. When young children hear music, they move to it. Once children learn to sing, they create their own melodies and invent their own words to familiar songs. These practices are realized in each Preschool music class that meets weekly. The students explore opposites such as quiet and loud, fast and slow, long and short, and high and low. A variety of musical timbres are presented through singing, hearing, and playing instruments. Movement is also a key component in understanding music in the early phases. As children respond to and explore music through movement, the underlying concepts are reinforced and a foundation for further music appreciation is formed. In Preschool, the music curriculum is a tool for developing listening and creative expression.
LIBRARY:
The focus of library time in Preschool is to help promote a lifelong love of reading. Children are introduced to the library through storytelling, read alouds, and fingerplays. Basic library citizenship is also introduced.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION:
Primary School curriculum focuses on movement, balance, depth perception, and spatial awareness. These skills are taught through age appropriate obstacle courses and tag games. Hand-eye coordination are practiced through throwing and catching games.