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4K Curriculum
A comprehensive four-year-old Preschool program has been created to challenge students to develop their skills in the intellectual, spiritual, physical, and social realms. Along with Bible, Phonics, Reading, Language Development, Writing, Numbers, Science, and History, we utilize interest centers, units, and theme topics in a combination of group and individual instruction. The Abeka curriculum is used to give a more traditional approach to learning along with other resources to enhance learning and retention of foundational academic and spiritual knowledge. An emphasis is also placed on social interaction among the students, giving them opportunities to develop social values, sharing, group acceptance, independence, and dependability.
Language Development
The purpose of the four-year-old language development is to provide a rich language experience that includes auditory, visual, and linguistic development. The phonics and reading learned in 4K lay the foundation as they expand their knowledge in many areas. The students will accomplish this through various means including whole group, small groups, individual instruction, and learning centers. In addition, learning games and hands-on activities motivate the children and make learning enjoyable and fun.
Students will use the simple, logical phonics to begin their journey to a lifelong love of reading. They will master the sound and recognition of the vowels and consonants and then progress to forming blends and reading simple words. Language development time is also integrated with interesting topics about animals, people, and places that will encourage the children to think and strengthen their vocabulary and language skills. Poetry, finger plays, and music are also a valuable part of the 4K curriculum not only to entertain, but to teach through play. They are used to teach basic literature skills, aid motor control and observation skills, and help the memory span.
Goals and Objectives
To aid and enhance visual, auditory, linguistic, vocabulary development.
To identify the sounds for each letter of the alphabet.
To listen and follow two-three step directions.
To memorize poems and finger plays.
To recognize and identify the name of each letter of the alphabet.
To associate a picture with each letter of the alphabet.
To learn different colors, animals, and methods of transportation.
To match or replicate patterns of beads and letters.
To locate an alphabet letter upon hearing its name.
To identify whether a letter is a vowel or a consonant.
To relate one visual stimulus with another such as the upper and lower case alphabet letters.
To identify and mark whether a vowel has its long or short sound.
To listen to stories and poetry and answer follow up questions.
To tell stories and poems.
To participate in creating group stories.
To use descriptive language, correct syntax, and grammar.
To participate in group discussions, dramatization, puppetry, and finger plays.
To sound out blends and one vowel words.
To begin to read sentences.
Numbers
Students in 4K will learn to recognize and understand the concepts of numbers as they begin their journey in mathematics. Included in the various aspects of this program, the children will learn to count from 1 to 100, recognize 1-20, distinguish before and after numbers and answer simple combinations.
A variety of manipulatives, finger plays, games, and songs are used to motivate the children who need to see and handle as well as hear what is being taught so they can move from concrete ideas to more abstract concepts they will encounter in higher grades. The various materials supplied provide strong visual support for the concepts.
A skills development time is set aside each day to strengthen listening, fine motor coordination, eye-hand coordination, visual perception, and writing skills. The children enjoy a wide variety of activities such as free art, stencil art, books, and manipulatives such as building blocks, puzzles, lacing cards, beads, etc.
Goals and Objectives
To understand the concepts of numbers and their families.
To count up to 100.
To recognize numbers 1-50.
To write numbers 1-50.
To identify larger/smaller and before/after and objects in comparisons of size and shape.
To practice addition combinations with sums up to ten.
To manipulate objects in relation to size and number.
To explore and describe similarities, differences, and the attributes of things.
To sort, match, distinguish and describe shapes.
To compare objects (one to one correspondence).
Science
The purpose of the 4K Science program is to encourage our students to grow in knowledge about the world God created for them. They will see how God has a purpose and a plan for every living thing He created (Jeremiah 29:11). This will instill in our students a love and an awe of the power of God in the world we live in (1 John 1:19).
Goals and Objectives
To develop a knowledge of God’s World.
To have discussion about the world God created for us and his plans.
To use their five senses to explore the world God created for them
To participate in activities that incorporate understanding for the world we live in.
To understand that God has a purpose and a plan for every living thing.
To observe growing seeds.
To use their five senses to experience various plants.
To identify properties of land, water, and sky.
To note changes in night and day.
To observe changes in the sky.
To experience the importance of weather and its changes.
To track the weather daily.
To read a thermometer.
To discuss the attire for different types of weather.
To view and create weather or seasons.
To identity various types of objects and their forms.
To observe changes in solids, liquids, and gases.
To use sink or float method of observation.
To observe how objects move (magnets).
To observe simple machines.
Bible
Bible time is the most important portion of our four-year-old school day and by its nature, it is the most interesting. The Voyage Exploring God’s World materials along with the Abeka Book visual cards gives us a successful method of presenting the Bible through the telling of stories of the Old and New Testament. The Bible lessons flow from the Word of God through the heart, soul, and mind of the child. Bible time includes singing of hymns, and choruses, prayer time reciting memory verses, and the actual Bible lesson.
Goals and Objectives
To learn about the Bible and how to apply its principles to life.
To listen and recall Bible stories.
To recite Bible verses.
To recognize and identify Bible characters.
To develop proper social habits of courtesy, sharing, cooperation, respect, and self-control.
Writing
The purpose of cursive writing in four-year-old Kindergarten is to develop good writing habits from the very beginning. The more traditional approach to writing strengthens the child’s reading skills. By joining letters, cursive writing reinforces the blending of sounds within words. Students learn cursive writing in a program that is correlated with their phonics. Writing also teaches character through learning to be careful, orderly, and neat (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Children will acquire a foundation for learning the basic cursive writing strokes. These skills will be perfected as students go on into 5K, first and second grade.
Goals and Objectives
To develop skills that will make writing legible.
To practice correct cursive formation of lower case letters.
To practice holding a pencil correctly and the correct slant for papers.
To associate cursive letters with the printed letters.