What They Learn
Learning occurs through exploration, hands on materials, individual choice, play, movement and the senses.
We strive to teach the "whole" child: spiritual, social, emotional, cognitive, creative, and physical. Meaningful experiences and play are vital tools used for helping the child develop a concept of self, God, and others. All of these aspects of learning take place in an environment of love and trust, where the child can grow.
Art
I'm learning about colors and shapes. I'm discovering that a figure can represent an idea or something I can see in my world. I am trying to create what I see in my mind. When you look at my creations, you are looking at the way I view things. I'm exercising my fine-motor skills.
"He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals His thoughts to man, He who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth - the Lord God Almighty is His name." Amos 4:13
Blocks
I'm learning as I move my fine- and gross-motor muscles, and I'm learning about spatial relationships, balance, stability, gravity, and geometry. I'm figuring out how to fit blocks together and learning about multiple dimensions and perspectives. Because of these fun activities in the block center, it'll be easier for me to read a map when I get older. I'm testing my ideas and using my imagination. I'm classifying the blocks by shape, size, and color.
"He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built." Luke 6:48
Books
I'm learning about book conventions. I am finding out that the words on the page tell an interesting story. The picture tells a story, too, and I'm discovering that there's a sequence to events. I'm quiet when I look at books, and I think about a story that I might want to write.
"Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." John 21:25
Celebration
I enjoy my friends, and it's fun to have a party! We celebrate birthdays, holidays, and special occasions in our class. If I know it's a special day, I can hardly wait to get to school! We are reminded to use our manners and our inside voices and to still follow all the rules on celebration days. Those days are even more special because our normal schedule includes new activities that teach something different. We even learned that the Bible includes stories about celebrations and that even Jesus made time to celebrate. I know that we laugh A LOT on our special days, and I imagine that Jesus laughed a lot with His friends when He celebrated, too.
"A cheerful heart fills the day with song." Proverbs 15:15
"A glad heart makes a happy face." Proverbs 15:13
"A cheerful heart is good medicine." Proverbs 17:22
Dramatic Play
I'm learning how to cooperate and get along with others! This practice will come in handy as I grow up! I'm learning how to use language by talking about ideas and negotiating as I play. When I pretend to be someone else, I'm beginning to develop empathy. I can even overcome some of my fears by pretending to be bigger or stronger and acting out what I might do in an uncertain situation.
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15
Math
I'm learning how about how much a number is and how to count. I can make a graph that shows how many kids in our class like strawberry milk. I'm learning to sort, classify, and group all kinds of things.
"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12
Nature and Discovery
I learn about the world by looking at things that I find under our magnifying glass. I like to watch the habits of our classroom pet, too. I'm observing, predicting, and comparing, and I'm drawing conclusions. I'm exploring with my senses and learning how things work.
"God saw all that He had made, and it was very good." Genesis 1:31
Outdoor Play
My eye-hand coordination is growing when I play outside. This coordination is important when my eye follows a ball that I throw or roll; I'm building on a pre-reading skill. Soon my eyes will have to follow a line of words, and I want to be ready to read! When I play outside, I am also exercising my muscles and learning about safety. I am watching the outdoor world change with each season and learning to take care of the world.
"Look up at the heavens and see; gaze at the clouds so high above you." Job 35:5
Puzzles
My eye-hand coordination is growing when I play with puzzles. I learn how to recognize shapes and patterns and how they relate to each other. Playing with puzzles helps develop my critical-thinking skills.
"And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:14
Worship
Sometimes adults think that because I'm a kid, I can't really understand stuff about God. But that's wrong! I know that I like the feeling I have when I pray. I like the stories I hear from the Bible. I feel happy when we sing songs about Jesus. I remember all the stories I hear and the verses I learn. Sometimes I like to go to a special place in the room and look at the pictures in the Bible and play with the puppets and materials the teacher uses to tell the Bible stories. I like to tell the story again to myself in my mind or in a quiet voice. I feel peaceful and quiet in this special center; it makes me feel loved.
"But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple." Psalm 5:7
Writing
Do you know that every letter has a sound? Do you know that if you put letters together you get a word? Do you know that if you put several words together you can write a story? I'm just learning about all of this, especially when I trace letters and try to write notes to you and my friends. I'm not quite ready to write a lot because the muscles in my fingers are still developing, but I like to experiment!
"I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write." 2 Thessalonians 3:17