Preschool Curriculum
Any program can claim to be a school and not a day care; the proof is in the grading. Ask to see the facilities measuring standards, methods of tracking and means of reporting to parents/families.
We provide child portfolios, report cards, two conferences and an annual summary.
We are a Literacy Preschool, this is why we do not have a long calendar year or day care hours.
These are the exact Hawaii State Content Standards for four year olds. When you visit our school, you will see the specific goals under each standard being met before a child leaves for Kindergarten.
Standard: Cognitive
The child:
- demonstrates a broad range of knowledge about the natural and man-made worlds
- demonstrates a broad range of knowledge about the social world
- engages in cooperative and elaborate dramatic play
- is able to place events and experiences in time
- demonstrates spatial awareness in play and language
- has beginning understanding of counting and quantity
- duplicates and extends simple patterns
- places a set of 3-5 unfamiliar objects in graduated order
- classifies by sorting into groups and by noticing a range of classes to which things belong
- knows physical features and functions of objects
Standard: Language and Literacy
The child:
- talks with others about past, present and future events with considerable detail
- retells a cohesive story including a variety of elements (e.g. characters, setting, main events, sequencing, endings, emotional states)
- has an age-appropriate vocabulary including a range of word types
- prints name and experiments with writing
- has an emerging awareness of links between letters and sounds
- identifies letters and common graphic symbols
- understands that print conveys meaning and serves a function
- knows book and basic reading conventions
Standard: Social
The child:
- initiates & sustains positive interactions with other children
- makes friends (demonstrates social support and loyalty, maintains relationships over time, refers to particular children as friends)
- is able to separate from parents with minimal difficulty
- makes independent decisions about activities
- is competent in self-help skills and requires minimal adult assistance
- handles conflicts constructively and independently
- is assertive when confrontations arise (e.g. stands up for themselves, does not avoid conflict)
- interacts cooperatively with adults and children
- participates in classroom routines and follows rules with minimal reminders
- develops a variety of strategies for solving difficult problems with materials
- develops a variety of strategies for solving problems with children and adults
- shows persistence in solving problems
- expresses a range of feelings in appropriate ways (e.g. cries when sad, smiles/laughs when happy, yells when angry)
- expresses thoughts, ideas, preferences and needs
- focuses on and sustains attention to self-initiated tasks
- pays attention to directions and explanations
- experiments freely with art and other open-ended materials
Standard: Physical
The child:
- demonstrates precision fine motor skills
- uses pencil sharpener, paper clips correctly
- folds paper with some direction and accuracy
- draws / writes with moderate control
- cuts precisely on a line (e.g. on a drawing, pictures out of a magazine)
- performs precise actions involving opposing hand movements (e.g. buttoning, lacing)
- pours liquids into a cup
- demonstrates coordination in large motor movements and pursues physical challenges
- climbs on climbing equipment
- walks up and down stairs alternating feet
- balances for a short time on one foot
- rides tricycle around obstacles
- hops on one foot
- learns familiar songs and is able to move to the beat of music
Developmental Areas
Spiritual – Through an environment rich in love and positive guidance, children will learn to care for the environment, themselves and those around them, and learn of God’s love for them.
Cognitive – Children will develop reasoning, logic, and creative thinking skills through an appropriately challenging environment, including daily math, science and literacy experiences. We provide pre-reading and reading environments.
Social – Children will learn to interact with their peers as well as adults in an appropriate and gentle manner. Peer negotiation and compromise will be encouraged on a daily basis to help children develop social confidence and grace.
Emotional – Children will learn appropriate ways to express and manage their feelings, through verbal communication, peer support and a variety of creative outlets.
Language – Children’s language and communication skills will be developed through daily reading, peer interactions, and adult initiated conversations.
Physical – Children will develop large motor skills such as coordination, balance and agility through a variety of teacher directed and outdoor free-play activities. Children’s fine motor development such as finger dexterity and handedness will be developed through a variety of art, writing and small manipulative activities.
