Our Pre-K program prepares your child for Kindergarten with a focus on academics as well as social interaction. We begin to transition from learning as entertaining to a more meaningful and systematic form of learning that promotes structured play and social interaction. Our teachers provide students with hands-on experiences and real-world examples that are meaningful and developmentally appropriate. Students will be introduced to basic skill building activities in the subjects of reading, writing, and math. A few of our thematic units include Around the World, Art and Famous Artists, and Insects. Ultimately, we strive for the students to feel competent as learners.
Through hands-on learning experiences, children are provided with enriching real-world application experiences to enhance logic, reasoning, and math related skills. Students lead a daily calendar check to discuss the day and date, leading into a discussion involving the concept of yesterday and tomorrow.
Children demonstrate abilities in rote counting, sequencing, patterning, measurement, and comparisons of different quantities and more.
Through their play experiences, the children learn to count, recognize numerals, associate numerals with corresponding groups, understand one-to-one correspondence, and understand the “number line concept” which is the relationship of numbers to each other.
We also present other mathematical concepts such as greater than and less than; before and after; and heavier and lighter. These concepts are part of everything the children do — whether they realize it or not!
The Pre-K curriculum develops the necessary skills through an introduction to reading strategies. Children begin to apply comprehension, phonological awareness, letter recognition, and vocabulary skills that develop overtime.
In Pre-K, students are exposed to various writing lessons that target fine motor development. Through collaboration with our occupational therapist, Donna Abramson, we provide students with centers that expose them to developmental milestones that occur at 4 and 5 years of age.
We use a developmentally appropriate, flexible, multi-sensory and effective program to develop good handwriting habits and improve fine motor coordination. Through the wooden pieces of big line, little line, big curve, little curve – we can make every upper-case letter.
All our students are immersed in a print-rich, literacy-based environment in every classroom in an appropriate way for each age level.
Children develop and apply social studies skills through exploration, geography skills, and history (past, present, and future).
Our students also study the economy at an age-appropriate level through learning about the roles of family, school, community helpers, etc.
One of the Pre-K units appropriately titled “Around the World” takes our students on an in-house trip to a new city. They learn a few new words and local customs before they pack their “bags”, hop on a “plane”, and travel to their destination.
Pre-K students receive Hebrew/Judaic instruction twice a week learning Hebrew letters and sounds.
Students review and build upon the vocabulary learned in the 3s through activities, morning exercise and songs.
Continuing to celebrate Shabbat in their classrooms and in the sanctuary with the Early Childhood, our Pre-K students alternate as the Rabbi of the Week to lead our services with the Director and synagogue Rabbi.
Pre-K students develop a better sense of the Jewish calendar and participate in activities that strengthen their knowledge of and connection to the Jewish culture and various holidays.
Our science curriculum encompasses interactive and hands on learning experiences. Students have the opportunity to explore Life skills, Earth/Space, and Physical science.
Our students get the opportunity to experiment and test hypotheses in our new STEM lab. Pre-K students participate in Science once every other week.
Using a variety of materials, students learn techniques and styles from great works of art to identify elements such as lines, shapes, colors, and textures and how they are used to create art
Using age-appropriate instruments and songs, students learn the beginning concepts of beat and rhythm development and instruments of the orchestra. Students sing in a group and in performances for our Thanksgiving, Grandfriends, Pre-K Promotion programs.
Through monthly thematic units from basketball and soccer to fitness workouts and team building exercises, we focus on age and skill-appropriate lessons every other week.
Students receive Hebrew instruction twice a week. Each student acts as a “Rabbi” leading a part of the Early Childhood Kabbalat Shabbat. Pre-K students develop a better sense of the Jewish calendar and participate in activities that strengthen their knowledge of and connection to the Jewish culture.
