Reaching New Heights is a Christian based Pre- K whose mission is to ignite the love of learning in young children while reinforcing the skill that are necessary for academic success. We are dedicated to teaching children in a way that research shows is the most effective for pre-kindergarten aged children. We are committed to fostering a learning atmosphere that is fun and engaging for every child.
Limit 19 (4-5 years old).
Pre-K is a four day a week program designed for the child in their last year of preschool before entering kindergarten. This class will focus on kindergarten readiness skills that align to the benchmarks of the Oregon Early Learning Standards. The Head Teacher will follow a set of organization-created teaching standards in shaping curriculum, activities and goals.
In the Pre-K Class we utilize a hands-on and engaging approach to teach concepts and skills. Throughout the day students participate in both small and large group teacher directed learning activities, classroom centers, structured and unstructured playtime.
There is a great deal of research that suggests early literacy is highly connected to later academic success. Through shared reading and writing, alphabet study and vocabulary development, the students have numerous opportunities for language and literacy development. The preschool years are the times during which children's emergent literacy abilities develop. These skills are the foundation onto which children's later reading and academic abilities will build off of. Most important for literacy is the development of phonological awareness (often called phonemic awareness), the ability to recognize and manipulate the sound units that make up words, be these individual phonemes (sounds) or syllables. Once a child can auditorily distinguish individual sounds, they learn to link the sound with the visual representation – the letter or the individual word. Thus, discerning sounds is a key early literacy skill to get practice with generic auditory discrimination skills.
By designing critical thinking into our Pre-k activities, we build self-esteem, lay a foundation for formal education, and develop a lifelong love of learning. Discussion and critical thinking questioning strategy lead to deeper analysis of content. This makes the learning process more about absorbing and reflecting on all facets of the material in a natural and curious state. Here are a few examples of questions that invoke informal reasoning. "Why did you select that one?" "How are these different?" "What happened when you?" These types of questions develop critical thinking skills and stimulate verbal development as the children try to communicate their reasoning. It also provides them with the opportunity to reason during the course of a discussion, an essential early cognitive development skill.
Researchers have found that young children are, by nature, curious about math. They have good evidence that math becomes real to young children as they use it by talking, reasoning, playing and doing. And, they have a better understanding of how preschoolers' early exploration of math helps them make sense of their world and what kinds of instruction and practice are needed to help them build new skills and deepen their knowledge.
Early childhood science education can have significant positives effects on the achievement gap and on students' educational outcomes later on. Science education results in the highest quality teacher-child interactions. During that time teachers support students with concept development, help them expand their ideas, and encourage them to use open-ended questions and advanced language.
Children learn social studies concepts by observing what's around them. Pre-kindergarten gives children their first sense of community outside the home. Social studies begins as children make friends and participate in decision-making in the classroom-then it moves beyond the school into the neighborhood and around the world.
Your child will learn how to say numbers, colors, shapes, animals, articles of clothing, some classroom and household items and common phrases and questions in the Spanish language. Learning a second language at this stage of life can be extremely beneficial in the years to come. Studies have shown that children who learn a second language build up the grey matter in their brain. This grey matter is responsible for memory, speech, sensory perception and processing information. It has also been discussed that children who begin learning a second language have an easier time learning to read and gain more advanced reading skills.
Signing offers children an additional way to communicate that is stored and accessed in a different part of the brain from verbal memory. It also improves their IQ and is beneficial for children who are visual, spatial, or tactile learners. ASL stimulates learning through the senses and builds fine and gross motor skills. The use of Sign Language in combination with verbal language enhances memory and recall.
Gymnastics helps children build a range of motor and coordination skills. It helps children recognize the importance of safety and can build confidence through achievement. It has been stated that physical activity in childhood will likely carry through to adulthood, resulting in a healthier and more productive lifestyle.
Group music making can channel energy into a positive and productive direction. Music can help children process and memorize information, as well as, increase their desire to listen more, learn more and know more. Speech and music have shared processing systems in the brain and the link has been proven to have an impact on children learning to read. Music evokes movement and children require movement for their development and growth.
This art form has been proven as an avenue for total body fitness allowing for all ranges of motion and movement. However, it has also been recognized for its benefits in cognitive, emotional and social development as well. Dance offers children a creative outlet through expressing their emotions in a structured environment. They gain an awareness of self and others. Dance provides opportunity for social encounters through cooperation and interaction. It helps children learn to understand themselves in relation to others. Dance and music also improve brain function and memory. When given a set of moves in a range of motion the brain must process, accept, and then remember. When this is practiced it can improve the power of our brain.
Having a wide range of literature at a child's fingertips can ignite imagination and provide a love for reading. Library time will allow for the introduction of books that your child may have not been exposed to. Having a library has proven to improve student achievement.
Character education is a way of teaching children about important values such as, respect and caring for others, honesty, responsibility and many other qualities that help a young child grow into an upstanding citizen. Character building helps students in their relationships thus turning our classroom into a more productive and positive learning environment. It also helps students in their academics. Diligence and a sense of responsibility are apart of building character and guide your child to have a drive to succeed.