Preschool represents a notable milestone for children as they begin to transition into the academic world.  Our preschool makes this transition easier for students and parents alike, by preparing children to meet and exceed the expectations set upon entering kindergarten.  Towards that end, our teachers work with pupils to harness their mastery of the alphabet, and apply this knowledge toward developing their reading, writing and comprehension skills.  Students also begin to dabble in basic math.  Finally, Students continue to learn proper classroom etiquette, while taking advantage of “hands-on” activities that foster cooperation when working with partners, in small groups, and in large group settings.  These activities give children opportunities to practice their conflict resolution skills, as they learn how to work with others to achieve common goals.  Our center emphasizes a framework where cooperation is preferred over competition, while still encouraging students to use competition as a channel for personal growth.

 

Clients can expect our staff to provide assistance with:

 

  • Early Level Reading and Writing

    • Fine motor skill development

    • Gaining mastery over all required sight words

    • Lending Library Program (State Sponsored)

    • Reading comprehension

      • Transitioning from understanding words individually into full sentence comprehension can be challenging but we make it easier for students by working closely with them!

  • Basic Math

    • Sequencing

      • Children often learn their numbers first, and how to count from 1 to 10, but take longer to understand the order of numbers when taken out of context.  Revisiting material as they age allows them to gain a necessary understanding that will assist them as they begin to learn mathematics.

    • Addition

    • Subtraction

    • Multiplication

    • Division

    • Pattern Recognition

    • Time

      • Digital and Analog

    • Money

      • Counting, adding, subtracting, place values and other aspects of handling money provide unique challenges for young minds.  Mastering these skills helps to prepare them for integrating into society.

  • Associative learning

    • This is the groundwork for forming strong connections and neuron creation in developing brains!  Children are encouraged to draw as many associations between the current curriculum and experiences they’ve had in their lives to solidify the content. During this process, students share their associations with their peers to help them draw a greater understanding of the presented material.

  • Social Rituals

    • The “Do’s and Dont’s” of Social Behaviors

  • Basic Peer Mediation Model

    • It is important to be able to use non-violent solutions to resolve conflicts.  Often times, a third party can help to facilitate a resolution where two parties normally would reach a gridlock.  Students are encouraged to help their friends through difficult arguments by learning basic mediation skills!

  • Conflict Resolution

    • Conflicts may occur between two parties without any witnesses, which is why it is important to teach children how to handle their own conflicts.  Often times in life, people are unable to turn to an authority figure to settle disputes, so the parties must resolve issues on their own.

    • Children are taught coping mechanisms such as walking away, counting to ten, “going to the balcony” and more, in an effort to help them learn how to regulate their emotions when arguments become heated!

  • Gardening and Self-Sustainability

    • Seeding

    • Transplanting

      • Involves the process of moving plants from indoor planters into the ground outdoors!

    • Cloning

      • Students learn how to take apex stems from one plant, place it in water with the proper lighting, in order to cause new root structures to grow.  Genetic cloning is accessible even at the pre-k stage!

    • Harvesting

      • Knowing when to pick food, and how to pick it varies with every plant that makes it into our garden.  

    • Food Processing

      • Children get occasional cooking lessons to learn different ways to use the food we grow, while also getting unique opportunities to create practical household food stores such as ketchup and salsa, while also learning about the basics of the canning/pickling process.

    • Ecosystem Sustainability

      • Understanding the connection between human activities and the impact they have on the environment is critical if proper stewardship is to be achieved.  Students are encouraged to find a balance between their actions, and the rewards they reap from their local ecosystems.

    • Permaculture

      • Students learn to focus on long-term solutions that help to maintain a healthy environment that can continue to provide for humanity, and other species, in an effort to help our planet provide for us.

    • Healthy Snacks

      • Food from the garden is offered as a healthy snack alternative.  Children are encouraged to try new foods through this activity and are rewarded with the fruits of their labor.

    

  • Self-Development Focus

    • Goal-Developmental Plans

      • Children are encouraged to set goals and then learn how to scale back, in an effort to find reasonable steps to take towards their goals.

    • Short-Term Goal Setting

      • Short-term goals are a key aspect of long-term goal realization.  Traditionally though, students are often asked to set goals, but are rarely given the necessary tools for understanding what that process looks like.  We break down these barriers by providing such tools!

    • Long-Term Goal Achievement

      • Long-term goals are only made possible by breaking down one’s intent into smaller steps that build up to the realization of said goal.  By providing students with the proper knowledge we set the stage for success throughout life!

  • Health and Nutrition

    • Yoga

      • By teaching children basic yoga early on we instill practices that help them to age successfully by maintaining a healthy balance between the mind and body.

    • Department of Agriculture Programs

      • MyPlate

        • Children learn how to easily portion their meals by being able to visualize how much of each food group they should see on their plates at each meal.  By removing the complex science, the program simplifies nutrition for children of every age.

      • Garden Detective

        • This program takes gardening and creates fun adventures out of the process while helping students to make associations and connections with how food is brought to the dinner table, and what that process entails for most households, and what it could entail for them if they choose to grow their own food.

      • IdahoFit

        • This program emphasizes the need to help children stay active and as such we couple materials provided by the program with a host of activities that are designed to keep children physically fit, while maintaining a high level of fun.