We believe that a child of kindergarten age learns best in a nurturing environment, allowing the child to develop his or her skills and character from the various games, educational materials, art supplies, books, pictures, music, and other children in the classroom, all thoughtfully and carefully taught and managed by the teacher.
We offer a half day program for a number of reasons, most importantly because we believe it is developmentally in the best interest of the child. Recent brain research indicates that at this age it is critical to develop neuropathways for current and future learning. This is best accomplished by a balance of formal classroom time and the opportunity for more sustained movement and activity as well as sufficient time for relaxation. We offer an optional extended kindergarten program in the afternoon which children may attend every day or for individual afternoons.
One of our primary academic goals is reading readiness. We focus on building a strong phonics base at the beginning of the year, and students work toward reading three and four letter words by the end of kindergarten. We place the children into reading groups during the second semester for small group instruction and practice.
We use an engaging book, manipulatives, and small group instruction to teach math concepts, and we learn about science and social studies through the use of a literature-based program. Students use learning centers to engage more fully in math concepts, writing, listening, housekeeping, science, and art.
We believe that kindergarten is a stepping stone into the full-day workload expected of our students in grade school. We instill in our students a love of learning and lead them with confidence over the bridge into our excellent first grade program.
Our kindergarten program is half-day in length. We offer an extended program from noon-3pm. The program reinforces some of the basic concepts taught during the morning program: arts and crafts, small group activities, and opportunity for physical exercise and play.
