Preschool
Our preschoolers learn through repetition, hands-on interaction, targeted seat-work, play, and creative activity. NFUMC Preschool seeks to reach your child wherever they are – to accommodate many different learning styles as we teach these important beginning concepts. The social skills and problem-solving skills they develop at this age through imaginative play and creative activity will help them be successful as they grow. Preschool is a time for your child to learn how to learn and how to interact with their peers and the world around them. Each age level will have its own set of goals, but all of our preschoolers are learning the same basic skills: letters, numbers, shapes, colors, counting, cutting, drawing, dancing, singing, socializing and sharing. In addition to basic preschool milestones, we want your child to know and love Jesus. Understanding how we are all a part of the Christian family informs how we treat others and the world that God has entrusted to us. NFUMC Preschool seeks to create good citizens and stewards of our homes, town, state, country and planet.
In addition to the individual classroom activities, all of our preschool students attend specials. Specials enrich your child’s basic learning experience. The specials are Chapel, Computer, French, Movement, Music, Science, and Social Studies. Please visit our Specials page for more information about each of these weekly supplemental activities.
All of our classrooms follow a standard for starting the day. Circle time adds structure to the day and teaches the children that there are times of free play and times where they need to follow a routine. Routines are also centered around snack time and times of movement between activities. This balance of freedom of expression versus structured learning time is important to your child’s feelings of safety and comfort and teaches them when to pay attention through predictable transitions.
In addition to calendars and weather charts, all of our classrooms include a map of the United States with US Symbol cards, a map of the world, and the US Flag.
Circle time and Snack time activities include:
- Reciting The Lord’s Prayer or a snack prayer
- Learning to sit and listen quietly
- Cleaning up after ourselves (before and after a transition)
- Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance
- Calendar Skills
- Discussing the weather and current season
- Reading aloud to the children
Teacher: Roslyn Bonner
Assistants: Kallie Zollman
In the 2-Year-Old program, we learn primarily by repetition. Two-year-old goals include being able to…
- Recognize ABC and 123
- Identify our basic shapes and colors
- Count to 30
- Recognize our friends and use our manners
Teachers: Jodi Horne, Cynthia Ammon, Erica Pfaff
Assistants: Vanessa Brown, Denise Bratcher, Jennifer Morrison
In the 3-Year-Old program, we introduce the use of symbols to represent what we are learning. The mental process of learning symbols for words or abstract ideas will help your child with both reading and math skills in the 4 and 5-year programs. Three-year-old goals include those listed for 2-year olds in addition to being able to…
- Recognize and write numbers 1-10
- Recognize and write letters
- Cut with scissors
- Recognize and write first name
- Sort items by color or shape
- Take turns while playing games
- Follow 2-3 step directions
Teachers: Shae Rhodes, TJ Stanford, Katie Bass
Assistants: Abbie Murphey, Sarah Fuller, Shana Cooper
In the 4-Year-Old program, we introduce basic math and reading concepts as we reinforce and build upon the 3-year-old skillset. Basic math concepts include our computer math program (see specials) and basic object manipulation to understand addition and subtraction. Basic reading skills include monthly sight words and sight word books read during computer time. Our classrooms utilize the Alphatime “Letter People” curriculum (a phonetic based curriculum), and each child maintains their own Picture and Story Journal to show writing progress throughout the year. Four-year-old goals include what is taught to our 2 thru 3-year-olds and include being able to…
- Be responsible for belongings and actions
- Be able to verbalize wants and needs
- Work independently and sit quietly
- Recognize complex shapes and colors
- Recognize and write numbers 0-20
- Recognize and write letters of the alphabet
- Recite letter sounds
- Recognize a list of basic sight words
- Recognize and write first name
- Recognize and complete basic patterns
- Recite their phone number and address
- Master the proper use of scissors
- Understand the concepts of SAME and DIFFERENT
- Understand basic object positions in space (over, under, above)
- Understand basic object positions in sequence (first, second, last)
