Philosophy & Principles
The Get Set for School readiness curriculum uses a developmental approach that is based on the most relevant research about how young children learn best:
- Break difficult concepts into simple tasks
- Believe that every child can achieve
- Use really cool materials that make children want to learn
What and How We Teach
Pre-K is a time of rapid growth and development. It’s a year of preparation for kindergarten and for future success in school and in life. To achieve, children need to be imaginative, independent, and actively involved in their own learning.
Readiness & Writing
This program incorporates child-friendly teaching strategies, such as using music and movement to bring lessons to life, and multisensory manipulatives to build fine and gross motor skills. Our readiness and writing lessons teach body awareness, cooperation, taking turns, listening, crayon grip, drawing, building, letter and number recognition, capital letter and number formation.
Physical development and social/behavioral skills are particularly important in Pre-K. In fact, children need to develop both fine and gross motor skills to be able to write. All these skills are critical to good emotional and social development and future academic performance.
Language & Literacy
Children begin developing language skills from the moment they are born. Our language and literacy program actively teaches syllables, names and sounds of letters, words linked to content, new words in spoken language, how to respond to simple questions, and how to have discussions and share ideas.
The program focuses on building rich Vocabulary so that children learn a word’s meaning and what a word represents so they begin to understand the network of concepts that goes with it. Children also learn the difference between drawing and writing, associate books with reading, ‘read’ environmental print, and ultimately learn the many benefits of early reading and writing.
Children also learn to identify letter symbols, both capital and lowercase, by letter names. They learn how these “symbols” work together to form printed words and how printed words related to spoken language.
Numbers & Math
We demystify numbers and make math concepts relevant and fun for children. With playful manipulatives, music, and rhymes, our numbers and math program teaches counting, comparisons, spatial awareness, patterning, sequencing, matching, sorting, problem solving, and even Pre-K geometry skills.
The program helps students build number sense right from the start. They also get time to play with real objects and test their ideas so that math becomes real and meaningful. Children also develop oral language that helps them learn about and express math concepts.