Pre-School Idea Sharing

1.  Although Genevieve is young for actual preschool (She will be two in March), this may be helpful for any moms of toddlers:  we have chosen to do our own little curriculum at home once a week.  It has been really fun because it takes what we are already doing (games/crafts/snacks/songs, etc.) and gives them some structure.  We will do one chapter at a time and pick and choose activities out of there...each activity revolves a certain concept or subject matter, and everything we do revolves around that one topic.  We have used the book "The Comprehensive Toddler Curriculum (for 18-36 months)" by Kay Albrecht and it has been awesome.  Barnes and Noble has it.  It has been fun and a great, beneficial activity for the long winter months.  It's nice, too, because it's free and on our own, so if we feel like taking a week off, we do. ;)
-Natalie

Another suggestion on where to buy The Comprehensive Toddler Curriculum (for 18-36 months)" by Kay Albrecht here. Free shipping.

http://www.betterworldbooks.com/9780876592144-id-9780876592144.aspx

2.  We have generally tried to do at least one craft and one game each day (like play-doh, stringing beads, perler beads, water color books where the ink is printed on, coloring, stamping, murals and shapes with foam paper, tan-grams, finger-painting with pudding, puzzle time, etc.) until our kids are three.  

Once our kids are three, we have found wonderful Christian preschool programs (2 mornings a week for threes, and three mornings for 4-5 year olds).  It's stretched our budget at times, but I have loved the opportunity for our kids to learn preschool stuff with a Christian focus and kids that aren't necessarily from church.  My goal is to permeate my children's world view with the idea that there are Christians everywhere, not just our friends, so they see it as normal to be Christian and talk about Jesus wherever we go.  It's also a way to be out in the world, but model not being caught up in it.  

Our kids were at a Baptist church program in Juneau, and are at Resurrection Fellowship here.  While I don't subscribe to some of the points of their worship or theology, I've found that their staff LOVE JESUS and are passionate about teaching them that Jesus loves them, and that's the environment I want my kids to see and have an opportunity in which to participate and learn.  Especially learning that God created the world, their little bodies, the rules for life, and is worthy of worship and reverence.  He IS the foundation of knowledge.  

This CAN be done at home, no questions.  I've specifically scheduled my time with kids in a preschool program to volunteer in my older children's classrooms, have one-on-one time with my younger ones, meet with other moms, or grocery shop so I'm available at home and not needing to tote kids around for as many errands.  

RCS (Resurrection Christian School) Preschool is in north Loveland, right off I-25.  It opens for public enrollment on February 12 at 8:00 a.m.  (I'd be there by 7:45 to get in line, it will fill up within minutes.)  Their program is gospel centered, includes chapel, dance or gymnastics monthly, a great art program, two performances a year, and is academically strong.  612-0632 for Cathi to schedule a tour.  Mornings are 8:30-11:30 (with drive-through pickup and 45 minutes of "lunch bunch" available for $2 more) or 12:15-3:15.

Other great Christian preschools I've looked into and liked are: Christian Core Academy!!! (Our schedule doesn't allow), Harmony School, and Redeemer Lutheran.

3.  We have used Sylvans preschool curriculum that can be found at Barnes and noble I usually buy the book that contains letters (upper and lower) colors and shapes, as well as numbers/ counting it costs about 25$ and takes anywhere from 10-20 min depending on how much time you want to invest. Also we recently picked up Hooked on Phonics level I at the library and I have absolutely loved it! Next year we will probably do CCA's (Christian Core Academy) preschool for James. I think it will be a great experience!

Ladies!

4.  Because my husband and I are both a part of CSU and graduating this spring, our son who was 3 wanted to do school.  Though a little pricey, we have started him with the preschool program from A Beka academy.  He loves it and my 2 year old is doing it along with him.  They learn how to write, sounds, numbers, colors, months, days, etc.  They have games and such.  Because it is more expensive for everything, it comes with a teachers manual so you make sure you are doing it rights, or it can be done via video, we laminated all the games and pieces so that we can reuse it all for my daughter or any future kids we have.  We don't push him to do a lot, usually he wants to do about an hour a day, his choice.  We went with A Beka because it is one my husband had when he was growing up with, it is very flexible even how you teach with it, computer, you, groups, video and such.  I hope you find this helpful.

As a side note, I have enjoyed being a part of REAL Moms this fall.  Unfortunately I have an internship this semester that requires me to be there during this time :(  If I canget out of it a couple of times I will try. I have been blessed by the program.

Thanks You,

Melissa

5.  If you would like a to try a fun, free option (albeit a bit more work); we could start up Kingdom Kids again.  

Kingdom Kids is a co-op preschool that meets a MVC and is run by mothers.  We did not have it this last semester, because there just wasn't enough interest.  But if we got a good group of ladies (and their preschoolers) together I would be more than happy to help start it up again.

How it works: There is a class and a nursery for younger siblings.  Each mother rotates through the various positions of Teacher, Teacher's Helper, Nursery worker 1, Nursery worker 2, and days off.  Last year we found having 7 mothers was about ideal.  This way you prepared and taught 2 lessons (3-4 days), helped 3-4 days, was in the nursery for about 6 days and had about 6-8 days off a semester.

When: Obviously, the when is completely at the discretion of those who are involved.  We typically met from 9-11:30am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, taking Real Moms Tuesdays off.  We also took a field trip each semester.

All the curriculum (Our Father's World) and teaching tools are already assembled and waiting to be used.  Occasionally, the mother's split the cost of a new box of crayons or construction paper.

If anyone is in need of more info about this or is interested in Kingdom Kids please shoot me a line.  i loved it.  Serving with friends, teaching the kids, it was a blast!

Colleen Reynolds
co@jonandco.com
970-412-3509

6.  Christian Core Academy Pre-K

CCA offers Pre-K for children ages 4/5 from 8am-noon on Tuesday/Thursdays. CCA has small class sizes

allowing 8 spots for Pre-K (and 10 spots for all other grades), however, if enough interest were to arise a

Monday/Wednesday class may become available. Cost is $180/month (with August being ½ price) and

a $180 registration free due upon completion of an enrolment packet. This will secure a spot for the

2013-14 school year and help purchase consumables throughout the year.

CCA Pre-K offers a Core Knowledge curriculum which incorporates What Your Preschooler Needs To

Know Core Knowledge material, My Fathers World Kindergarten material, Saxon Math Kindergarten

material and Spalding Phonograms (focusing on the first 26 phonograms).

Most importantly, Jesus is the foundation of all learning at CCA. In Pre-K this looks like daily devotions,

prayer time (based on specific prayer requests/praises), reading through The Jesus Storybook Bible and

memorizing Bible Sayings each week based on the My Father’s World weekly units. Besides gaining a

love for learning, much of Pre-K is learning how to co-exist with others and gain an understanding of

structure and basic social/behavior skills in a group/classroom setting. The small class size allows for

these important matters to be addressed through discussions of Jesus and His love for us, to practice

reconciling with our peers who have been offended, and reaching not only the mind but the heart of

each child.

If you or someone you know would like more information or an enrollment packet for CCA’s

Pre-K program, please contact Cherese Macy at (970)682-4750 or through CCA’s website at

christiancoreacademy.org.