Pre-Kindergarten at The Oaks
Located at our Martindale-Brightwood campus, the Pre-Kindergarten Education Center is the self-contained home to the entire Pre-K program, designed and created to meet the needs of our youngest learners.
Curriculum Overview
Our Pre-Kindergarten program builds a foundation for a child’s future academic success by developing critical social, academic, fine and gross motor skills. We have designed our program based on time-tested curriculum to inspire a life-long love of learning in every child. The integration of habit development plays an important role in ensuring our youngest learners build the executive function and social emotional skills needed for healthy intellectual, spiritual, and physical development.
numeracy
Math concepts are incorporated throughout the day through formal instruction, nature lessons, and play. Key numeracy skills such as counting, sorting, matching, and recognizing patterns are introduced as well as concepts related to addition, subtraction, simple division, symmetry, and size.
language arts
To build a strong foundation in Language Arts, students participate in daily phonemic awareness, dialogic reading, and handwriting activities. As they learn to identify the subtle differences between each letter sound, they are also challenged to develop an appreciation for literature and “big ideas” through our Happily Ever After reading readiness program.
Teacher-led small and large group discussions and activities develop language, vocabulary, and analytical skills like making predictions and inferences. In addition to poetry and bible verse recitations, which strengthen the core mental skill of working memory, students develop important writing skills.
Physical development
In addition to daily indoor and outdoor play, students meet once per week for 30 minutes for physical education. In Pre-K, students learn simple games designed to develop their gross motor skills, coachability, and sportsmanship. Our Pre-Kindergarten Center also includes a new outdoor play set designed with spinners to support the development of balance, both large and small slides as well as climbing areas to encourage an age-appropriate amount of challenge throughout the school year, and an abundance of green space for outdoor learning and exploration.
bible
During Bible, students engage with important stories from the Old and New Testaments beginning with the book of Genesis. Students also hear daily scripture readings each morning at lauds and chapel.
ART & MUSIC
Students have in-class art time where they are introduced to artistic tools and media including scissors, paint, clay, ink, and yarn. In music class, students learn about steady beat, melody, harmony, expressive movement, and musical memory.
NATURE STUDY & FIELD TRIPS
Nature Study involves the careful observation of found and noticed objects, which is a foundational skill of scientific inquiry. The encouragement of nature study is supported with curriculum-rooted field trips and through the exploration of our outdoor classroom which includes a pollinator garden, rock formations, and flowering trees and bushes which attract butterflies and native insects!
A Day in the Life of Pre-K
Lauds or Chapel on Wednesdays
Morning Meeting (Bible, Calendar, Sounds & Letters)
Math & Art Centers Rotation
Snack and Morning Recess
Specials Class (Library, PE or Music)
Lunch
Nap / Rest Time
Dialogic Reading & Center Rotations
Afternoon Recess & End of Day Reflection
A Day in the Life of Pre-K
Lauds or Chapel on Wednesdays
Morning Meeting (Bible, Calendar, Sounds & Letters)
Math & Art Centers Rotation
Snack and Morning Recess
Specials Class (Library, PE or Music)
Lunch
Nap / Rest Time
Dialogic Reading & Center Rotations
Afternoon Recess & End of Day Reflection
Ready To Join Us For Pre-K?
Life After Pre-Kindergarten
After attending Pre-Kindergarten at The Oaks, students have direct admittance into our Kindergarten program with our continuous enrollment agreements, securing their place at The Oaks ahead of new applicants for the Kindergarten class. Graduating from the Pre-K Center, families can choose between our two lower school options for Kindergarten through 5th grades.