Early Childhood Education

Children entering the three-year-old preschool program must be three before September 1st. They also must be fully independent in the bathroom before being admitted into the program. Three year-olds are very active and have an intense curiosity for their surroundings. They experience those surroundings through play, using their senses and their bodies. Our Preschool Program is designed to harness that curiosity and energy into productive learning experiences through age appropriate sensory motor activities.

Our Preschool Program provides the children with hands-on learning experiences that will engage them in their learning. We employ a center-based curriculum, which is guided by our highly qualified, certified teachers and staff. The children will explore their environment through play in various centers, including: dramatic play, blocks, library, sensory table, writing station, and other games or toys that will engage the child in meaningful play.

*Language Arts - As the three-year old becomes increasingly curious about letters, the child is provided with simple phonics games, activities, and manipulatives that teach recognition, increase comfort, and instill confidence in the print medium.

*Mathematics- Three-year old children manipulate their surroundings through play. At the same time, they are learning basic math concepts such as problem solving through puzzles, spatial relationships through blocks, counting, etc.

*Arts & Crafts - Age appropriate arts and crafts provide the three-year old with practice in developing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and creativity.

*Bible - Young children love to listen to Bible lessons! These timeless stories teach valuable character traits, which help the children understand who God is and how God wants us to treat one another.

Sample of Preschool Daily Schedule:

7:40-8:00 - Arrival

8:00-8:45 - Prayer and Circle Time

8:45-9:30 - Learning Centers and Individual/Team Table Work

9:30-9:45 - Potty Time/Snack

9:45-10:15 - Gross Motor Fun (Outdoor or Indoor recess)

10:15-10:50 - Learning Centers and Individual/Team Table Work

10:50-11:00 - Prayer and Closing Circle

11:00  11:15 - Dismissal

*Our Full Day Program is available for Preschool students. The description of the program is listed below.

Children entering the Pre-Kindergarten program must turn four years old before September 1st. The child must also be fully independent in the bathroom before being admitted into the program. Readiness is a developmental process, which is different for every child. Neurological, psychological, and intellectual maturation, experience, and even gender are factors that may influence reading readiness. Readiness occurs at different ages in different children. One cannot wait for readiness, nor can it be accelerated. It must be provided through proper environment and activities through both the home and school experience. Our Pre-Kindergarten curriculum is designed to help the four-year old or five-year old develop his/her beginning reading skills to the fullest potential.

The Pre-Kindergarten program provides a hands-on learning approach that engages each child through play, providing them with meaningful learning experiences. The classroom is center based, which is guided by our highly qualified and certified teachers and staff. These centers include: dramatic play, a writing center, blocks, art, a sensory table, library, table toys, and much more. These learning centers allow the children to explore their world in a way that is fun and engaging. In addition to the learning centers, the children will also learn through lessons centered on the weekly theme. These lessons will be based on the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards, and will be catered to the learning needs of each child.

*Language Arts – The children are introduced to a new letter each week but not limited to just that letter.  They will also learn their corresponding sound using sign language. When a child learns a new letter, they not only learn the sound the letter makes, but they also learn to sign the letter that corresponds with the sound. The children will develop their writing skills by learning how to hold a pencil correctly, practice writing each new letter, and learning how to write their first and last name. They will be given a sight word each week to help prepare them for reading readiness.

*Mathematics - The children will learn the four standard areas of mathematics: Numbers and Operations, Algebraic Concepts, Geometry, and Measurement, Data, and Probability. The children will learn through various activities and projects that will allow them to learn at their own pace. These activities include sorting various objects (like leaves in the fall) by color, shape, and size. They will also create and continue patterns with beads, counting bears, etc. The children will learn basic and solid shapes by using molding clay to construct their own solid shapes. With number operations, the children will be given hands-on learning through manipulatives, games, and projects that will also incorporate interpretation of data collected by the students. Measurement will be used while creating their own play-doh, and through other sensory materials.  Students who are ready to add and subtract will be given the opportunity to learn how to use these skills, including greater than, less than, and equal to.   

*Science - To begin learning the scientific method, the children will begin to learn to use simple scientific tools and experience God’s creation by learning how and why.  Science experiments will be conducted weekly based on the weekly theme.  

*Social Studies - Throughout the year, the children will explore the world by learning about other cultures. There will be themes throughout the year that will allow the children to experience the lives of other children in the world. After learning about these cultures, they will use their accumulated knowledge to engage in a dramatic play experience.

*Arts and Crafts- Increasing fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination allow students to use simple tools such as scissors and pencils. The children also practice how to follow simple two-step directions through the process of art.

*Bible- The children will learn that we can have a relationship with God, as well as develop proper relationships with one another. Students will also be introduced to the Biblical character traits of listening, faith, forgiveness, joy, orderliness, sharing, giving, fairness, and loyalty. They will learn these Biblical principles through verses, lessons, and songs.

Sample of Pre-Kindergarten’s Daily Schedule:

7:40-8:00 - Arrival and free play

8:05-8:35 - Prayer, Pledges and Circle Time 

8:35-8:45 - Bathroom Break

8:45-10:00 - Learning Center Fun and Individual/Team Table Time

10:00-10:15 - Snack

10:15 - 10:20 - Bathroom Break

10:20-10:50 - Gross Motor Fun (outdoor or indoor recess)

10:50-11:00 - Wrap Up and Prayer

11:00 - 11:15 - Dismissal

*Our Full Day Program is available for Preschool students. The description of the program is listed below.

For children enrolled in our Full Day Program, the children continue their day with meaningful sensory experiences. This program is available for both the Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten Programs. The preschool children will be given a half-hour lunch break followed by 15 minutes of free play and then an hour of rest time. The pre-kindergarten children will be given a half-hour lunch break followed by 15 minutes of free play and then a half-hour of quiet time where they can quietly color or read books. Hot lunches are available to all full-day students.

The Full Day Program also includes three special classes that are taught by Rhema’s Special Teachers. These specials include Art, Music, and Library.  The children are taught the fundamentals of each class, by providing the children with developmentally appropriate activities. These activities and projects prepare the children for what they will experience in Kindergarten.

In addition, the children will also be given sensory experiences that will extend their learning. These experiences are designed to teach language arts, mathematics, and develop their fine and gross motor skills. These sensory experiences include:

*Writing letters or sight words in shaving cream.

*Digging through sand for letters to spell their name or sight words.

*Mixing primary colors to discover secondary colors.

*Planting a class plant together and watch how God created it to grow.

*Play games with tweezers to pick up objects to count.

And so much more!

The children will also engage in various centers including: art, a writing center, dramatic play, library, a sensory table, blocks, and table toys all designed to provide further development in their cognitive, social/emotional, and spiritual development.

Sample of Basic Full Day Schedule -- The schedule is based around the specials of the day. This is just an example.  Specials are only scheduled on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

11:00-11:30 - Lunch

11:30-11:45 - Free Play

11:45 - 12:15 - Quiet Time - Pre-K

11:45 - 12:45 - Rest Time - Preschool followed by Bathroom 

12:15 - 12:50 - Free Play and Bathroom Break for Pre-K

12:50 -1:30 - Special (Art, Music or Library)

1:30 - 2:15 - Learning Center Time

2:15 - 2:30 - Snack

2:30 - 2:50 - Gross Motor Fun (Outdoor or Indoor Recess)

2:50 - 3:05 - Story Time and Prayer

3:05 - 3:20 -  Dismissal