Our team of experienced child care professionals has a structured curriculum and clear goals for each classroom to help your child learn more about the world around him or her.
We target the whole child by looking at the developmental domains and meeting each child where they are in each area.
Infants develop their earliest feelings about God through experiences with loving, trusted, and seemingly all knowing caregivers. When their cries are answered and their needs are attended to, these little ones begin to trust. This same trust, nurtured by years of faithful teaching, love, and care, will someday lead them to trust Jesus and choose to love and follow Him.
Goals for each age group are as follows:
We target the basic skills of motor development such as holding up their heads, rolling over, and reaching for objects. In this class children begin to sit alone and crawl. These physical activities are encouraged through the environment and the interaction of our teachers.
We also play games and have interactions that encourage cognitive development such as object permanence. We read to the babies and encourage discovery of different textures through the toys and books provided.
Teachers encourage language development through response to cooing, crying and general adult interaction as well as beginning preverbal gestures and encouraging simple sign language.
The use of mirrors and interactions with adults encourages the signs of social emotional development.
We also look at the spiritual development of the children. We encourage this through Bible songs and phrases along with simply giving quality care to each child.
Developmental milestones include:
Physical :
Cognitive:
Language:
Social/Emotional:
Children begin to show signs of a refined pincer grip for example and this is encouraged through allowing children to experiment with art activities and feeding themselves at snack with items such as cheerios. Children in this class also begin walking and teachers foster this by providing push toys, safe areas for pulling up and of course teacher interaction.
Children in this age group develop cognitively through experimenting with objects in a trial and error fashion. For example using jumbo puzzles and shape sorters. They begin to sustain attention on books and song time.
Language activities include taking turns with pat a cake and peek-a-boo. Generally children begin to speak their first words in this age group. Teachers continue to encourage the use of non-verbal signs to help children communicate. For example, using the sign for more and please.
In the area of social and emotional development many children begin to learn empathy. Teachers encourage children to check on friends who are sad, mad etc. They also label feelings. Children will generally join in play with familiar adults and socialize with them.
Spiritually this age group continues with Bible stories and verses as well as wonderful interaction between the children and the teachers.
Developmental milestones include:
Physical:
Cognitive:
Language:
Social/Emotional:
Children in this age group become very mobile and spend time running, jumping and climbing. We provide climbers in the gym and on the outside playground that are age appropriate. They begin manipulating small objects with good coordination. Use of small crayons and puzzles help to increase this motor development.
In the realm of cognitive development, children engage in make-believe and dramatic play. The teachers provide homeliving and dramatic play items to encourage the children in this area. Some cognitive enhancing games such as ?Which item is missing?? and other hiding games help children to think outside the box.
Children begin to speak in phrases and combining two words. Their vocabulary increases to around 200 words. Reading and looking at books is a great way that teachers help to increase the vocabulary.
Developmental milestones include:
Physical:
Cognitive:
Language:
Social/Emotional:
Developmental milestones include:
Physical:
Cognitive:
Language:
Social/Emotional:
Physical:
Cognitive:
Language:
Social/Emotional:
Physical:
Cognitive:
Language:
Social/Emotional:
Children begin to form their first friendships and begin to distinguish moral rules from social conventions. Children begin to help each other and teachers enhance this through verbal cues. The developing of a child?s faith is as intentional as is the developing of all developmental domains. As a child grows in stages and milestones are reached, so does their faith grow when nurtured. A child?s developing faith will be nurtured by feeling safe and secure in a loving environment with caregivers that provide the love care they need.
We at SPC Preschool understand that children are concrete learners and gain knowledge of their world through exploration. Our staff are knowledgeable and plan activities that exhibit this knowledge. However, much of the faith development that occurs in the classroom is through incidental learning times. As children explore their world and ask questions, teachers are given the opportunity to share the wonder of God?s creation and that He has a plan for each one of our lives. These incidental teaching moments are a major part of the unseen faith based curriculum.
Teachers and children talk about how to take care of one another and help one another. Teachers help children see that God created each of us and we are each unique and ?Precious in His Sight.? The preschool children also learn Biblical truths as they attend chapel once a week. This is a time of hearing stories about Jesus and the way He would have us to live in this world that God created.
Vision for Children and the Church Statement (Presbyterian Church, USA)
Because we affirm that all children are a gift of God, created by God and created good; all children are a gift to the whole of the human community; all children have a real faith and thirst for ministry; all children have the right to be children; and all children are not just tomorrow, they are today.
Because Jesus welcomed children and encouraged us to welcome them in His name; Jesus lifted up a child as an example of what the realm of God is like.
Therefore we hope for a church where we take seriously our baptismal vows to nurture all children committed to our care; where we bring good news to all those places where children are in need; where adults and children alike share in ministry.
We covenant to act so that this vision may be made real for all children, now and in times to come.