Programs

Basics

The Little School is a Bible-based Preschool serving ages 15 months through Pre-k. Classes meet on M/W or T/T. Our state-licensed Pre-K class attends on Tues., Wed., and Thurs. We are open from 9am-2pm each day. We teach a full Bible curriculum as well as monthly themed units and basic preschool skills. The children to to a 30-minute music and movement class each day as well as indoor and outdoor play time and teacher-directed activities. Our school year begins the day after Labor Day and ends the second week of May. We follow the Williamson County Schools calendar.

Our state-licensed Pre-K houses the oldest children here. All of them will be attending kindergarten the following year. We adhere to the state rules and licensing requirements for this age group in all areas. The curriculum taught is with the intention of preparing the children to attend kindergarten the following year. We teach letters, sounds, counting to 100, numbers 1 to 20, name writing, address and phone number recognition as well as many other pre-reading and pre-math skills.

We also offer a 2-day a week Pre-K class. These children attend on Mon. and Wed. We teach the same curriculum as the state-licensed class with the intent of preparing children to go to kindergarten the following year.

During the school year we offer many special days including: community helper visits, thanksgiving feasts, donuts with dad, muffins with mom and a visit from the petting zoo as well as celebrating Christian and other holidays. We have two programs a year. We have one program at Christmas and one during the spring ending the year with Graduation for our Pre-K students.

The Little School Advisory Board meets once a month to make decisions and plans for the program. This group is made up of the chairman, director, financial advisor, parent representative, teacher representatives, educators and community representatives.

Age Appropriate Curriculum Goals

The Little School offers programming for children who are at least fifteen months old by September 30, through their kindergarten year. Goals have been established for each level of classes and a specific curriculum has been developed to meet the maturity level associated with that age child. We recognize the maturation process is unique to each child and strive to offer an environment well suited to their needs.

We use a monthly theme schedule that includes both a secular theme as well as related Bible stories. We exist to affect the lives of God’s children in a positive way by sharing His love with them as well as their families. We strive to teach them by example and through the written Word. Our prayer is that our children will learn they are created by God in His image and loved by Him, that He is the sovereign God of our universe and through Jesus Christ we gain salvation and develop a personal faith in Him.

NURSERY/TODDLER

We offer a loving and nurturing setting for both the child and parent who are quite often experiencing a “school” situation for the first time. We maintain a 5 child to 1 adult ratio. The daily schedule primarily revolves around play and creating a clean, safe and comfortable classroom. These children enjoy indoor and outdoor active play, lunch and nap time daily as well as their free play time.

TWO-YEAR-OLDS

This age group enjoys blocks of time during the day dedicated to free play as well as “table” activities directed by the teacher. Our rooms are equipped with a kitchen center, dramatic play area, car mat, building blocks, books, climbing gym and varied toys. Each day’s schedule will include active play (indoor and out), assembly/music and movement, art, lunch, and rest time. Developmentally, this age group will experience activities which:

• Strengthen their gross motor skills
• Begin to develop their fine motor skills
• Expose them to the use of numbers, letters, colors and shapes
• Encourage them to be creative through dramatic play
• Encourage the “singing – reading” connection

This year is a transition from a home environment to a social one giving the child opportunities to move beyond parallel play.

THREE-YEAR-OLDS

This age group enjoys blocks of time during the day set aside for free play. Our rooms are equipped with a kitchen center, dramatic play area, car mat, Lego blocks, books, educational folder games and varied toys. Each day’s schedule will include active play (indoor and out), assembly/music and movement, art, group games, lunch and rest time. Developmentally, this age group will experience activities which:

• Increase their eye hand coordination
• Strengthen their writing and cutting capability
• Introduce them to early pre-math and pre-writing skills
• Encourage them to listen and follow directions
• Encourage the “singing – reading” connection
• Learn to get along in society

PRE-KINDERGARTEN

We offer two types of unique programming for four year olds and five year olds. Both programs provide the academic stimulation necessary to enter kindergarten the following year. Each program is staffed by teachers who hold four year degrees and who receive ongoing training.

Cooperative Classroom:
This class meets in a regular sized room with eleven students and one teacher who receives aide support as needed. The tenor of this classroom is one of cooperation as the class as a whole will be introduced to material together. We feel this atmosphere is well suited to young fours, children who are experiencing pre-school for the first time, or the child who may be more timid. This class placement may be used as the final year before entering kindergarten or as the “gift of extra time” for those families who wish to delay entering kindergarten a year.

Centers Based Curriculum:
This program is licensed by the Department of Health and Human Services of Tennessee. This class meets in an oversized room with twenty two children and two teachers. This room is characterized by specific learning centers including both play areas as well as academic ones. We feel this atmosphere is well suited for middle fours to young fives. It provides a setting much like that of a kindergarten classroom and requires maturity and confidence for the child to work independently at times as well as delay impulse behavior.

Each class is equipped with a student computer, reading area, Lego’s blocks, car mat, age appropriate manipulatives for math and language, kitchen and dramatic play area. These children will experience activities which:

• Lovingly expect the child to be honest, fair, diligent and responsible
• Increase their understanding of and use of numbers, letters, colors and shapes
• Encourage the correct pencil grip and scissors technique
• Allow them to sort, sequence, group, and identify
• Help them to follow directions
• Introduce them to science and history
• Teach them to recognize their name, know address, phone number, parents names
• Encourage the “singing – reading” connection
• Experience many gross motor activities
• Strengthen fine motor skills