Curriculum

Covenant Preschool and Childcare recognizes that children's play is the essential work of childhood, helping develop emotional, cognitive and problem-solving skills.  Our classrooms are well-equipped with developmentally appropriate materials that encourage socialization, exploration, and imagination.  Staff/student ratios are kept low (1:4 for two-year-olds, 1:6 for three-year-olds, 1:8 for four-year-olds) to allow time for each student's individual needs to be met.  

We utilize The Creative Curriculum and provide hands-on learning experiences and opportunities to master new skills.  Daily activity and lesson planning further integrates and documents the goals set forth in the Delaware Department of Education's Early Learning Foundations for School Success.  The curriculum covers language development, mathematical thinking, scientific thinking, creative arts, emotional and social development, and physical health and development.  Classroom activities are age-appropriate and build skills needed for Kindergarten readiness. Our commitment to each student as an individual provides a warm, loving environment where children feel comfortable, safe, and free to explore the world around them.

Language & Literacy

Preschoolers build their vocabulary and learn to express themselves verbally through interactions with adults and peers, listening to and retelling stories, circle time, and dramatic play.  Covenant Preschool provides both a language-rich and print-rich environment.   Many opportunities for learning happen throughout the school day for children to read, write and listen to others, all enriching language skills.  The school emphasizes the value of language in solving problems that may occur in the classroom and in life.  

Mathematics

Preschool mathematics is taught through hands-on experiences and observations.  Through the use of manipulative toys, following recipes, building with blocks, playing and measuring materials in the discovery table, etc., children learn math concepts.  Skills developed include sequencing, matching, sorting, recognizing and creating patterns, number concepts, graphing, ordering, spatial relationships, time, and part/whole relationships.

Science

Preschool science promotes experimenting, exploring, discovering, and becoming aware of the changing natural world.  Children observe seasonal changes, growth in themselves and others, and weather.  Experiments include observing changes in physical properties such as ice/water, planting seeds, magnifying glasses, and color wheels.  Children are encouraged to make predictions and observations.  Units on good nutrition, dental hygiene, physical health, and the five senses are included.

Creative Arts

Art activities are process oriented and promote creating, experimenting, and learning. Art is a natural form of communication for children.  Opportunities for creating art are provided each day and help develop fine motor coordination, self-expression and emotional outlets, and an understanding of spatial relationships, awareness of color, size, shape and texture. 

Music is an experience that is part of each preschool classroom.  Songs are learned and music of different types heard within the daily class. Children explore different musical instruments and develop recognition of patterns, rhythms, and melodies.  In addition to daily music activities, an enrichment music/movement class is provided to each class twice a month.

Physical Development

Physical health and development activities encourage growth in fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and good health habits.  Preschool classes will engage in daily gross-motor activities, both child-selected and teacher-initiated, to develop competency in a variety of activities that require coordinated movement such as climbing stairs, jumping, hopping, catching and throwing a ball, and riding a tricycle.

Small muscle development and eye-hand coordination activities include using a paintbrush, cutting with scissors, building with blocks, completing puzzles, stringing beads, holding a pencil with a functional grasp, working with pegboards, and manipulating playdoh.

Preschoolers will have opportunities to recognize and eat a variety of nutritious foods and learn about nutrition and physical health.  Children will learn and practice self-help skills and good personal hygiene, including washing hands and using tissues appropriately.  Activities teaching fire safety rules and car and pedestrian safety rules are presented.

Emotional & Social Development

Preschool activities together with caring, nurturing relationships with teachers will provide children with opportunities to become aware of their own and other's feelings, interact appropriately with peers and familiar adults, use age-appropriate conflict resolution strategies, recognize and appreciate diversity in people, participate in and use self-control in group situations, and show curiosity, creativity, self-direction and persistence in learning situations.

Spiritual Development

Religion is not taught as a separate part of the curriculum.  It is taught through the staff's loving example, through songs and stories, and thankfulness for all examples in nature of God's love and care for us.  We teach love and respect for each other because we are all part of God's family.  Observance of Christmas and Easter emphasize the Christian significance of these holiday periods.  We have Chapel with our minister once each month.  We have prayer daily at circle and snack times.  Children are taught to care for others by community outreach activities such as baking each month for Emmanuel Dining Room, creating cards to help cheer the sick and elderly, and collecting pennies to contribute to the less fortunate at Christmas time.