Four and Five year-old Kindergarten Readiness Classes

Because all children learn differently, Bountiful Preschool in Minot uses research based multi-sensory learning materials and pulls elements from the Waldorf and Montessori philosophies into our pre-kindergarten program.  Natural learning occurs through play, exploration of the changing season cycles and rhythms of the earth, sun and moon.  Our pre-K program develops early math skills, pre-reading skills, and an eagerness for scientific discovery.  Letter sounds are learned in an order that let children begin to blend sounds into words.  Additionally, sign language is used to learn letters/sounds through tactile means.  Children learn to write their names and practice writing numbers and letters.  Children also learn about shapes, colors, the months of the year, and the days of the week.  Bountiful Preschool incorporates the Love and Logic program and yoga into our Self-regulation Curriculum.  Here is a look at some of the many early childhood education activities children participate in at Bountiful Preschool: 

•  Calendar and Circle Time 
•  Pre-reading, Reading, and Math Skills Instruction 
•  Science Projects 
•  Process Art 
•  Singing, Dancing, and Musical Instruments 
•  Sensory Activities 
•  Show & Tell 
•  Center Time 
•  Big Muscle Play 
•  Cooking 
•  Sign-Language
•  Yoga 
• Class Mascot home-visits
• Birthday and 1/2 Birthday Celebrations
• Self-help Skills
•  Self-regulation Skills 
• Seasonal Celebrations
• Family/School outdoor Lantern Walk
• Zoo Field Trips
• End of Year BBQ
• Graduation Ceremony

Here is a closer look at January: 

Monthly overview:  This month our themes will be polar animals, pets, and Earth.  We will learn about each theme and how they relate to each one of the students.  Also, many of our math and literacy activities will be explored through our monthly themes.  We will continue to use multi-sensory approaches for learning our numbers and letter names/sounds (ex: writing in sand, creating with wood, writing on chalkboards, imprints in play dough, creating "sound boxes", books and songs related to letters/numbers).  We will work on our cutting skills, pre-reading skills and writing our names. Our classes will also focus on the letters H, J, U, and L, Touchmath, review of colors, and writing capital letters.   As each student is ready, we will introduce blending sounds together to form words.  Throughout the school year our classes will be completing ABC books to take home at the end of the year.  Featured books this month include Opposites, Penguins, I want to be a Vet, Our Yard is Full of Birds, and Polar Animals. Our science theme this month is “Winter Birds in North Dakota.”  Our dramatic play center will be a home setting for two weeks and then re-created into a veterinarian office complete with uniforms, animals, patient bed, medical equipment, a receptionist and waiting area, doctor's forms, money for payment, a parking lot, and vehicles for two weeks.  We will be keeping track of the moon's cycle, talking about seasons, and enjoying story telling (the telling of stories without books).   We will have a pajama/stuffed animal day and a "wear our clothes backward" day.  So much fun!

More details for each class for the month:

Week one:

MWF: Craft: Rectangle painting Science: Exploring Winter Birds Instruments: Old King Cole’s Sticks

Week two: 

MWF: Craft: Snowmen Recipe: Stone Soup (bring a veggie from home to cut-up at school and put in our Stone Soup to be shared for snack) Instruments: Rig-a-Jig-Jig with all instruments

Week three:

MWF: Craft: Wet on Wet Watercolors Science: Bird Shape Rubbings Instruments: Stir Up My Soup with shakers

Week four:

MWF: Crafts: Polar Bears in Winter Recipe: Lemonade Instruments: Hickory Dickory Dock with bells and actions