Literacy and Writing Readiness

We use the Learning Without Tears (LWT) curriculum for literacy and readiness for writing. It is developmentally appropriate and provides an excellent foundation for all of our preschool literacy objectives. The various components of LWT build on each other, enabling us to meet the hands-on needs of our youngest students while engaging and stretching our most advanced students. Children use a variety of manipulatives to practice building letters before their fine motor skills are developed enough to form letters using a pencil or crayon. Students learn to recognize letters and the sounds they make, beginning with the capitals and adding lower case letters later. Students learn that there is a correct way to form each letter. They eventually learn to form letters, following the same steps and verbiage initially used to build letters. Letters are introduced in order of easiest to form (L, F, E, H…) to more difficult letters (B, P, R, S…) as they gain skills and confidence.

By the end of Pre-K, most children will:

Recognize all capital and lowercase letters

Write all capital and most lowercase letters correctly

Write their own name

Know all the basic letter sounds

Identify the beginning letter of words

Recognizing rhyming sounds and create rhymes

Sound out basic CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words

Draw a picture about a story

Listen and recite poems, chants and songs of increasing length and difficulty

Math:

We also use the Learning Without Tears curriculum for math. We focus on learning math and number concepts through play, hands-on activities, and music and movement songs. We also encourage children’s natural interest in numbers and counting by incorporating math into our daily schedule and activities. Children learn to recognize numbers and correlate the meaning of the symbol with the quantity it represents. They begin forming the numbers using the same manipulatives we use to build letters. They learn there is a correct way to form each number, and when ready, they will practice forming numbers with writing utensils.

By the end of Pre-K, most children will:

Rote count to 30

Demonstrate 1:1 correspondence

Recognize patterns and create an AB & ABC pattern

Name common shapes and their attributes

Assemble puzzles of increasing complexity

Understanding and compare objects by size

Recognize numbers 1-20

Write numbers 1-10

Fine Motor Skills:

“Fine motor” refers to the development of the small muscles in the hand. When young children practice fine motor skills, they are preparing to write, type, use scissors, and manipulate tools. It also helps them with life skills like buttons, snaps and zippers. Fine motor control and hand strength prepare students for the writing involved in both literacy and math activities in kindergarten. Learning to hold a pencil correctly will reduce frustration and hand fatigue, setting children up to become successful and confident writers. We teach the Learning Without Tears method to help children develop a proper grip in fun, developmentally appropriate ways.

Many activities are available in our preschool classrooms to help young children develop fine motor skills – using tweezers or clothespins, screwing lids on and off, cutting, working puzzles, using writing and art tools, working with playdough or clay, lacing cards, stringing beads, manipulating sensory tools, building with Legos, gears and Magnatiles, etc.

By the end of Pre-K, most children will:

Demonstrate correct tripod or quadropod grip with a writing utensil

Manipulate writing, drawing and art tools

Continue developing eye-hand coordination to use everyday tools

Continue developing hand strength and dexterity

Hold scissors correctly and cut on a straight line

Gross Motor Skills:

We support gross motor development through daily outdoor activities and movement songs. We spend time outside every morning and afternoon, except when prevented by severe heat or cold conditions. In those rare cases, we use the gym for gross motor activities.

By the end of Pre-K most children will:

Walk up and down stairs, alternating feet on each step

Be able to sit “criss cross” comfortably while engaged in learning

Continue developing motor control and balance for a range of activities, such as walking, propelling a wheelchair, skipping, running, climbing, hopping

Continue developing motor coordination and skill in using objects for a range of physical activities such as pulling, throwing, catching, kicking, bouncing or hitting balls

Understand movement concepts such as control of the body, how the body moves (such as awareness of space and direction), and that the body can move independently or in coordination with other objects

Show an awareness of their body and surroundings (e.g. stepping around a coat on the floor instead of walking on it)

A good definition of independence is “having the confidence to do things I can do without help and asking for help when I need it.” Knowing the difference is also part of independence. This is what we are working toward as children get ready for kindergarten and often you will see us showing a student how to do something (from zipping a lunch box to blowing a nose) and then encouraging them to try. Along with this, we are working to help children develop the tenacity to keep trying even when something is difficult.

By the end of Pre-K most children will:

Blow their nose with a tissue.

Use the bathroom independently.

Open and close lunchbox and containers.

Unpack and pack their backpack.

Put on socks and shoes.