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Advanced Kindergarten Readiness Academy
(4 - 5 years)
Four and five-year olds are fully expressing themselves and growing inquisitive about the opinions and ideas of others. This final year before kindergarten fosters the confidence and learning excitement critical for a lifetime of learning!
Our degreed and credentialed educators continue to build and support a learning environment that stimulates and reinforces all children to reach their potential. Research identifies early literacy competency as an indicator of literacy and academic success in kindergarten and elementary school. Our Advanced Pre-K program is strongly weighted in literacy awareness activities. These focus on letter recognition, letter sounds, print concepts, story telling, anticipation of story developments, letter writing and early spelling through sound, name recognition of classmates, writing and other literacy opportunities throughout the classroom learning centers.
Strong planning is reflected daily throughout the room. Learning centers are adjusted on a weekly basis to maintain and stimulate the children’s interest and curiosity. Daily routines lend stability and consistency that build confidence. American Sign Language (ASL) that has been flourishing in our classrooms since the infant rooms is continued. In the Advanced Pre-K classroom children are observed using signs to express feelings, needs, frustrations and appreciation. They sign their own names and those of their friends, along with the alphabet. This alternative way of expressing themselves supports an anti-bias curriculum and a positive perspective of a different language.
Curriculum Components
Language Development: Conversational skills increase as children learn to use new sounds and words, and complete more complex sentence structures. Classroom interactions feature multiple step instructions, asking complex questions and supplying detailed answers. Letter-sound connections are stressed and practiced, and print knowledge strategies progress. Children learn to retell stories and to connect various narrative events as literary skills are refined. Students learn to use letters that represent sounds as they practice writing words.
Motor Development: Continued physical development is enhanced with enjoyable games and activities that encourage vigorous climbing, running and jumping. Preparation for advanced games is enhanced by learning to throw at targets and to catch thrown balls. Activities such as printing letters, drawing specific shapes and stringing objects readies children for the kind of manipulative educational tasks they will experience in kindergarten.
Emotional/Social Development: By the time children reach the Advanced Pre-K level they are ready to take on some responsibility, and cooperation with peers is understood and expected. Independence and self-reliance are encouraged as children learn a sense of accomplishment from completing tasks and feeling a sense of responsibility. Empathetic understanding of others is recognized and reinforced as children become emotionally and socially prepared for the kindergarten/school environment.
Cognitive Development: Math skills appear as students learn to count and recognize one-to-one correspondence for numbers 1 through 10. Students develop the ability to understand, explain and practice cause-and-effect as their problem-solving skills develop. Skills of categorization begin to mirror patterns of brain development as children learn to sort objects by group and sub-group. Measurement, pattern recognition and returning to previously started tasks show the emergence of higher-level thinking. As always, creativity and imaginative expression are emphasized in art, dramatic play, and role-playing.
Our respected and proven curriculum continues to promote cognitive and positive development in these eager learners!
In a current nationally recognized, federally-funded research program, Stepping Stone School Pre-K children excelled in Pre-literacy Experience and Reading Success Preparedness.
- Early Childhood Developmental Nurturance Program (6 weeks - 18 months)
- Developmental Preschool Program (18 months - 3 years)
- Kindergarten Readiness Academy (3 - 4 years)
- Advanced Kindergarten Readiness Academy (4 - 5 years)
- Future Leaders and Inventors School Age Program
Click one of the links above to learn more about how Stepping Stone School will inspire your child.