Preschool

 

Our well qualified credentialed staff provides innovative and a creative model of early childhood education program thoroughly demonstrating understanding of developmentally appropriate theory and practice.

The curriculum promotes spiritual, cognitive, language and communication, social, emotional, and motor development in a holistic manner. You will see a wide variety of materials and experiences for our children to explore and experience.

Centers and zones of learning engage children in activities related to interests of the children. Art, music, movement, dramatic play, science, math, literacy, sensory and motor play are integrated into daily experiences where children are active explorers of their environment.

Our staff role is to guide and support the children's learning and encourage them to extend learning beyond the original plan.

Age range of children: 2 - 5 years

Children are placed in the rooms based on their age and developmental levels.

  • 2 to 3 years - 1:8 Teacher to Child Ratio
  • 3 Yrs to 4 Yrs - 1:10 Teacher to Child Ratio
  • 4 Yrs to 6 Yrs - 1:12 Teacher to Child Ratio

See Overview page for tuition.

Developmental goals for children to accomplish by 5 years

Physical and Motor:

Acquire and refine the fundamental movements of balance, movement, touch and coordination
  • Enjoy rhythm and movement
  • Explore these fundamental movements through time, activities, and equipment that is made available to them
  • Actively pursue gross motor activity
Acquire and develop fine motor skills
  • Become acquainted with and have time to use the appropriate equipment and materials that aid in this development
Recognize that their body is created by God and takes special responsibility to take care of it.
  • Are introduced to health and nutrition
  • Make good food and activity choices

 

 

Spiritual:

Understand that God is a loving God
  • Know God created the world
  • Understand that Bible is a special book
  • Use prayers to express their thoughts and needs to God
  • Freely share about God, Jesus and Bible with others
  • Enjoy the process of moving from curiosity to satisfaction in a project because God delights in their work
  • Develop desire to attend church

 

Value family relationships and understand the importance of obeying parents and significant adults
  • Enjoy and initiate friendships with a variety of individuals
  • Begin to learn the art of sharing
  • Begins showing empathy and kindness
  • Use language to express self, developing positive conflict resolutions

 

  • Develop self-confidence in self-initiated activities.
  • Begin to exhibit self-control
  • Comfortable participation in group discussions
  • Able to attend to others comments

Cognitive:

General: Are able to engage with others in learning activities, including the ability to explore, create, experiment, observe, plan, analyze, reason, investigate, and question. Initiate investigation as a result of carefully observing their surroundings
Enjoy creative expression
  • Encouraged to express creativity within their own multiple intelligences and are provided the materials for this expression
  • Free to work with mediums that uniquely express the creative element for processing art
  • Write songs and stories
  • Use imagination in dramatic center play
  • Find creative solutions to problems that arise during play

 

Numeracy:

Understand math vocabulary, concepts, and directed activities
  • Have appropriate counting, sorting, and comparing skills
  • Work well with manipulative behavior to achieve an appropriate transition into formal schooling

 

Language and literacy:

 

 

Understand the importance and use of language in the environment
  • Are able to participate in receptive language activities using literature as the foundational tool
  • Have a desire to look at books with text and illustrations
  • Engage in expressive language experiences that foster growth in language proficiency
Have cultivated pre-writing skills in the context of emergent literacy
  • Are able to write their own name and alphabet letters
  • Spontaneously choose to use writing implements
  • Understand that print carries meaning
Are aware of different letter sounds
  • May begin to hear rhyming sounds in prominent words
  • Become phonemically aware through classroom activities designed for that purpose

Intended Ends for Families:

Understand the importance of being the primary educator of their child and of participating in the educational process of their child by partnering with the center in providing an enriched educational experience for their child.

Discipline Policies:

Children at our center will not receive physical punishment. Children who have conflicts or problems with others while at our center will be encouraged to verbalize their anger and concerns. Even infants without verbal skills will hear their caregivers describing problems, solutions, and logical consequences. The role of the adult at the center is to be a helper to positive problem solving. Our staff members guide rather than punish.
Children whose behavior endangers others will be supervised away from other children. The child then will process the problem with a staff member and any other concerned parties. Staff rarely uses “time out” unless a child is emotionally out of control, and needs a private time to regain composure. Verbal processing is our preferred technique.
Discipline, i.e., guidance, will always be positive, productive, and immediate when behavior is inappropriate. No child will be humiliated, shamed, frightened, or subjected, to verbal or physical abuse by staff or by parents on the premises or during field trips.
Frequent parent conferences will be arranged with the caregiver and the parent to come up with a plan to help the child to over come the negative behaviors. Child and parent may be supported with referral services if that need occurs.
If any child’s behavior becomes a danger to the other children, staff and the property of the center on a constant basis, care may be terminated for the child.

Enrollment

If you are interested in enrolling in our preschool program then click here to download an application on the Programs Overview page.
Please return this form with registration fee to the ICCDC, 1201 N. China Lake Blvd., Ridgecrest, CA 93555.