Young Toddler
The Lower Division of Colonial Quivira is a fun and exciting place to begin to foster a love of learning and a love of God. Our students, ages 15 to 36 months, experience an exciting play-based, structured day. The curriculum is focused around themes and goals designed to teach the children social/emotional skills and developmentally appropriate basic concepts, using songs, movement, books, and stories. Our warm and loving teachers provide an atmosphere where the students and their parents can feel safe and secure, preparing the children for the transition into preschool.
2's
Our two-year-old classroom provides a loving and structured day for our littles!
We encourage their development in all domains through play-based learning, introduction of shapes, colors, and counting, building, art, songs, rhymes, and the teaching of scripture.
Our 2's are introduced to our handwriting program, Handwriting Without Tears, and learn body parts, positional/spatial vocabulary, and beginning muscle building/pincher strength.
The 2's have daily access to puzzles, sensory activities, blocks, dramatic play areas, and are always encouraged to explore many, many books!
3's (Preschool)
In our three-year-old class, we introduce our students to the Handwriting Without Tears method of letter recognition, writing and reading.
This method is joyful, child-friendly and active, and was developed by occupational therapists.
At three, we emphasize classroom activities that encourage a student's fine-motor development (i.e., strengthening the muscles in their inner palm) so they become ready to write.
Such activities include:
- Painting and drawing on an easel
- Roll-A-Dough letters
- Using wood letters on letter cards
- Using crayons
- Tracing name
- Making circles
Students also begin journaling at this age. The purpose of journaling at the age of three is to encourage a child's cognitive development by allowing him/her to make marks on a page with intention. Sometimes, "scribbles" are, in actuality, amazing stories the child loves to create, explore, and share!
In a structured and loving environment, children also explore a variety of math, science, sensory, and creative arts activities during every school day.
Bible lessons are taught each day using the Jesus Storybook Bible. Children also learn scriptures through song in every classroom!
4's (PreK)
Our four-year-old's are getting ready for kindergarten!
We offer a structured, yet fun and loving, learning environment as the children learn letter recognition, letter sounds, and continuing building their fine-motor skills necessary for writing. The 4's follow the Handwriting Without Tears program and begin writing their names while also learning how to read beginning sight words.
At this age, children also participate in math, patterning and building projects, as well as hands-on, play-based learning through science and exploratory activities.
Bible lessons are taught each day using the Jesus Storybook Bible. Children also learn scriptures through song in every classroom!
Transitional Kindergarten (TK)
For 5-year-olds, we offer an excellent option for children looking for the "gift of another year" of cognitive, emotional, and spiritual development before entering a traditional kindergarten class.
Our Transitional Kindergarten (or TK) class is structured to allow the children to practice and master the early literacy skills of letter recognition, letters sounds, counting, and letter printing. Children in this class participate in journal writing every day, and continue to strengthen their fine-motor grasp through multiple writing opportunities offered throughout the day.
By the end of the year, children are reading simple sentences and books, creating their own stories, and are growing in their love for learning!
Bible lessons are taught each day using the Jesus Storybook Bible. Children also learn scriptures through song in every classroom!
Explorers
Explorers is a play-based, hands-on experience focused on discovery and exploration of a variety of themes.
Whether “diving” into the ocean, creating their own car to “drive” to the movies, digging up dinosaurs, celebrating holidays around the world or visiting outer space, our students are using a STEM-based curriculum to gain information, learn cause and effect, practice decision-making skills and have a lot of fun! The warm and loving teachers have created an atmosphere where the children enjoy songs, movement and books, as well as do role playing, create their own snacks, keep journals and have lots of outdoor time. This is an active class, open to students in our Pre-K and TK classes as a third or fourth day option.
Music and MIF (Movement Is Fun) Enrichment
Preschoolers love to sing and so do the teachers! Children will learn traditional preschool songs, nursery rhymes, and scripture-memory verses through our dynamic and fun music class.
The sequentially planned activities in our MIF (Movement Is Fun) class provide important opportunities for the development of children’s tactile, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems, as well as aiding in the acquisition of postural abilities and balance, bilaterality, and motor skills. When these systems are developed and working well, academic skills automatically build on this base. Our movement class provides healthy exercise and aids in creating the brain paths that make learning possible. But most importantly, all the jumping, hopping, balancing, touching, and more are just a whole lot of FUN!