Preschool Curriculum

Interactive, playful and inspiring, our preschool program consists of small and large group activities, which facilitate development in language, fine motor and gross motor, cognitive skills in reading and math readiness concepts and social skills. The developmentally appropriate curriculum promotes pre-K and kindergarten preparation and readiness.

There is a balance of child-directed and teacher-directed activities, which are included throughout the day. Developmentally, play is a vital component of the program. Play facilitates problem solving skills, social interaction and communication skills, and increases cognitive growth.

Our curriculum prepares children to get along well with others and become enthusiastic learners. We provide a purposeful and interesting learning environment that helps children grow in all areas of development: social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and language. The goal is for each child to be prepared for success in school.

Our program allows the child to plan and carry out activities at a center of his or her choice. These centers may include blocks, dramatic play, science, sensory table, art center, and listening or story area.
Our teachers integrate children’s spontaneous, day-to-day discoveries, interests, and curiosity into established learning goals and activities. When teachers incorporate children’s ideas into their experiences, their self esteem is enhanced, and over time, this will support children in becoming self-directed learners.

We believe that each child is created in the image of God and is a unique individual. We want to help develop the God-given abilities in your children so they can grow in knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and live as effective citizens in His kingdom.

Our beautiful playground and school garden offer a natural setting for scientific exploration. Children love to dig in the dirt to find small creatures, such as worms and bugs. Watching butterflies flutter or birds flying high is exhilarating to their young minds. Planting seeds and watching them grow, and feeling the bark on different trees provide sensory and exploratory experiences like no other. Nature walks are an exciting experience for the children.

Through our culinary arts program, we incorporate nutrition and wellness into our curriculum. Helping children to understand how to be healthy will be an attribute that follows them throughout their lives.

Our teachers engage in observing, guiding, learning and assessing children’s progress to ensure each child’s experience at Brilliant Beginnings Preschool on the Plateau is rewarding and meaningful. Curriculum goals for each age specific classroom are focuses.

Parent communication is facilitated through activity calendars, newsletters, conferences, and other special events throughout the school year. Parents are encouraged to become active members of our team in assisting during the day or observing in the classroom.

Enrichment Programs

Our fun and educational enrichment program is designed to supplement our curriculum and enhance the children’s learning experience. Special classes are scheduled for both mornings and afternoons, and conducted by experienced professionals in the field. These include dance, foreign language, storytelling, music, and golf. Children and parents also join us in field trips throughout the school year. Our children’s favorite destinations include pumpkin patches, farms, zoos, local parks, and libraries.

NATURE BASED LEARNING

Our stunning natural setting and school garden on the Issaquah-Sammamish Plateau offers a unique close-to-nature learning environment. We bring the outdoors inside with special projects. Our school garden provides self-guided learning for children as they plant with the teachers, look for bugs and discover new growth. Our teachers use this outdoor classroom to introduce environment education, experiential learning, ecological literacy, as well as math and scientific concepts. A vegetable garden can also help children develop a lifelong love of healthy foods. We use the foods we grow in our cooking whenever possible.

DANCE AND MOVEMENT

Dance and Movement is taught to our preschool students so they develop fundamental movement patterns that strengthen their cognitive, social, and emotional development. Our goals are to combine preschool education and movement skills to improve the physical foundation for learning.

The program is designed to introduce dance and creative expression. Children are taught the basic fundamentals of musicality, rhythm, body awareness and interactive singing. Emphasis is placed on using imagination while participating in group settings. Colorful props are used to help develop fine motor skills and muscular coordination.

MUSIC

Music is a part of our routine curriculum and activities. To broaden our children’s experience, we may bring in a music specialist to play music with our children. Teachers regularly mix up the children’s songs to show different tempo and feel, and play a variety of musical instruments in their native style.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

The brain is primed to acquire language by the age of 4. At Brilliant Beginnings Preschool on the Plateau, children can learn different foreign languages. Researchers have learned a lot about the way the brain acquires language. They know that a real life teacher has a much bigger impact than a DVD. And, they know that elementary school students who have a second language score higher on achievement tests. Learning a second language has been shown to be good for the brain. Studies have found higher math scores, higher verbal scores, higher social studies scores and higher SAT scores for children who study another language. It's even been shown that bilingual adults suffer less dementia than their monolingual counterparts! Around the age of 10, children go through a developmental stage where they accept what is familiar and turn away from what is different. By making other language and culture a part of a child's life from a young age, a teenager who embraces it too may emerge.

STORYTELLING

Storytelling is not only a wonderful way to have fun and bond with young children, it jump starts their imagination and creativity, improves their listening skills and builds vocabulary. Storytelling inspires the educational experience for our children. We incorporate storytelling as part of our curriculum, and specialists may be brought in for this experience.

FIELD TRIPS

Young children need opportunities to explore the world around them. Our students are always are eager to listen to different people in the community as well as experience various settings in nature, learn about animals, and more. We arrange many unique and exciting field trips throughout the year and welcome parent involvement in all field trips. Our outings follow the curriculum and are incorporated into the activities so children can relate the field trip to the lessons.

GUEST SPEAKERS

We encourage and invite guest speakers into our classroom as often as possible. Guests may include people from different professions such as firemen, library personnel, music specialists, policemen, park rangers, nurses, business owners, and more.

FAITH

Children Can Be Saved By God

We believe children are miracles from God. Our focus for all children to live in His likeness by teaching and doing good. Christian faith may be incorporated into the curriculum in fun and exciting ways. For example, after reading the story how Samuel helps at church we may discuss ways children can help others in need. Or students may be allowed to use soap and water to wash the home living dramatic play area.

“Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God." (Luke 18:15-17 ESV)

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.(2 Timothy 3:14-15 Holy Bible ESV)”

Preschool Program Goals

Age 2-½ to 3

Each accomplishment fills two and three year olds with pride and a desire to learn more. They are active learners with a natural curiosity about the world around them and have endless energy. When children turn three, they become more social and develop language skills rapidly. They begin to understand various concepts and think more symbolically and logically. Our campus in Issaquah, Washington provides a rich learning environment where children are encouraged to explore and challenged to learn, while making friends and developing self-confidence.

Our child centered curriculum combines teacher guided activities with time for free choice, play, and socialization. Children choose from activities such as free and cooperative play; science and nature; art; writing; and reading; math and manipulatives; and block building. During circle time, our little ones share books, music, songs and their experiences together. Our covered outdoor play area and beautiful, natural playground offer an exciting climbing/slide structure, basketball court, and riding trails for trikes and other wheel toys to develop the children’s physical skills, gross motor skills, and coordination.

We provide opportunities for discovery and hands-on experiences, which combine creative expression and skill building. Our teachers also provide individual attention to support children’s unique needs.

Age 4 and 5 (Pre-K)

4 and 5 year olds are in a phase of wonder and exploration, where children want to learn more about the things they find most fascinating. Our classes are designed for each child to acquire the skills and concepts necessary for later success in school. We provide opportunities for children to explore things that are interesting and meaningful to them. When children learn through play, they develop a deeper love and appreciation for learning we hope will last a lifetime.

Many of the learning competencies begin to merge in the Pre-K years and continue to develop in Kindergarten. Our teachers work on the children’s skill levels, using an emergent approach, through playful and meaningful activities.

The curriculum content areas and developmental indicators for the Pre-K classes include:

• Approaches to learning — choice making and problem solving.
• Arts — visual art, culinary arts, dramatic art, music.
• Mathematics — number, sorting and matching, patterns, space.
• Science — classification of objects, time, similarities and differences, exploration, study of nature.
• Social Studies — group routines, awareness of the community.
• Language, literacy and communication — interest in reading, writing and dictating stories.
• Social and emotional development — express feelings, building relationships with children and adults.
• Physical development, health and well-being — knowledge of health, creative movement, self-help skills.
• Faith and Spirituality – we incorporate God’s goodness and teach his compassion throughout our curriculum in creative ways.