Loving, Safe, Christ-Centered and Developmentally Appropriate

An early childhood program for children who are 4 by August 31st of the school year

 

The Pre-K program at Little Doves is specifically designed to prepare your child for Kindergarten. Whether continuing with Little Doves through Kindergarten or transferring into a public school, our Pre-K program is strategically comprehensive in its teaching goals and excellence.

 

Teaching Goals:

 

1. To help children build a positive self-image, to accept themselves and others.

2. To excite children about school and learning new and exciting information about life and the world.

3. To refine social skills with increasing emphasis on language skills.

4. To continue muscle development and focus on fine motor skills.

 

Pre-Kindergarten Objectives:

 

1. Work and play in small and large groups

2. Follow simple directions and cognitively process decision making to a successful result

3. Finish small and large taks

4. Listen to one another

5. Count and recognize numbers 1-30

6. Learn to write numbers 1-20

7. Name shapes and colors

8. Understand patterns

9. Recognize and learn to write the alphabet - upper and lower case letters

10. Hear and learn letter sounds

11. Write first and last names

12. Understand that verbal language can be written and also be read

13. Sort and classify

14. Understand the concept of "more, less and equal"

15. Be challenged to achieve their fullest potential

 

Spiritual Objectives - in our Program the children will learn...

 

1. God made the world.

2. God created us.

3. God loves us.

4. Jesus is our God's expression of love to us.

5. Jesus is God's Son.

6. Prayer is talking to God and we can talk to God anytime.

7. God listens to our prayers.

8. We are not perfect...we sin and God acts in love to bring us His forgiveness through Jesus

9. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus for us.

10. Be kind to others.

11. Love one another.

12. Learn basics about the Bible - as "God's book"

13. Bible memorization

14. How to be a "light" or witness for Jesus!

 

Curriculum:

 

• Math - Counting (calendar, counting days in school to 31, counting objects, counting in 5's/10's to 100), More/Less, Measuring/Pouring, Shapes, Free Exploration (working with materials - unifix cubes, shells, blocks, etc.), Beginning patterning, Sorting/Classifying (color, size, shape), Addition/Subtraction of numbers up to 10.

• Pre-reading - Letter Bingo games, Exposure to written language, Bookmarking, Sensory Tracing Letters, Concentration and Memorization Games, Letter Recognition Games, Letter Sound Recognition Games

• Zoo-phonics reading program - see below

• Reading - Rhyming words, Word families, Small sight words

• Science - Science Experiments, Planting, Animals/Insects, Weather/Seasons, Magnets, Cooking

• Art with a focus on self-expression - Explore and use a variety of art materials, Art projects related to a monthly theme

• Music - Singing/Dancing, Clapping rhythms, introduction to musical instruments

• Health - Teeth brushing, healthy eating, Safety rules, Hand washing, Fire Safety

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Zoo-Phonics Reading Program

 

Learning to read, spell, and write should be painless and stress-free.  Zoo-phonics is utilized by

LDPK to create a joyful learning environment.  

 

Here's how it works:

 

An animal theme is used because it is universal, and because children relate readily to animals.  The configuration of the letter is remembered in association with a picture of the animal.  The sound comes through the first initial letter sound of each animal's name. A body "signal" is given to mimic each Animal Character.  Each Zoo-phonics Animal becomes a friend and a tool for the children to use in developing reading, spelling and writing skills.  Here's how:

 

1. Children first see the Shapes of the lowercase letters through the Shapes of the animals, "a-z."

2. The Sounds of the Letters are taught through the names of the animals:  allie alligator=a, bubba bear=b, catina cat=c.

3. Because children wiggle naturally, a Body Movement (called a Signal) is given to each letter that relates directly to the Animal, locking the Shapes and Sounds into memory, allie alligator opens and closes her jaws as she smiles, bubba bear reaches up to the honey hive, catina cat washes her face with her paw, etc.

 

Thus, the eyes, ears, mouth and large muscles provide the vehicle to access information.  Zoo-phonics encourages the children's natural tendency to wiggle and to express himself/herself, channeling it all for learning.  Children learn by touching and doing, and Zoo-phonics gives them this outlet.