Emmanuel Day School (EDS) offers three different programs for preschool children. The 3’s, 4’s, and 5’s classes are specifically designed to be a gradual progression in learning. At EDS, the curriculum gradually shifts to ultimately prepare students for the more structured environment of Kindergarten.

The Emmanuel Day School curriculum advisory board has recently created learning targets. They are aligned with the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s position statement on what developmentally appropriate practice looks like for children ages 3 to 5. Each of the 49 learning targets is used to guide the EDS teachers in their lesson planning process.

3’s Program – 14 students/2 teachers. The focus in the 3’s class is primarily on social skills: our goal is to build a sense of confidence and plant the seeds for a love of school and learning. The day of a 3’s class student is filled with play, art, music, literacy, science, cooking, exploration (!) and a healthy dose of outdoor exercise. Because this is often a child’s first introduction to formal education, it is important to help youngsters build positive relationships with peers and teachers. We work hard to achieve this goal.

4’s Program - 14 students/2 teachers. The teachers build on the foundational social skills learned in the 3’s class and give children time to express choice. They select the activities, materials, and friends with which to play. Small group activities are intentionally designed for children to practice the skills needed in kindergarten, such as writing, problem solving, and math. The 4’s class does go on several field trips.

5’s/PreK Program – 14 students/2 teachers. Continuing to nurture your preschooler’s mind, the 5’s class is filled to the brim with creative ways to have fun, make friends, and learn. The focus here is on honing fine motor skills, continuing healthy and constructive social interactions, asking questions, finding answers and laying the foundation for academics in elementary school. Through individual and group activities, small “centers” each designed to coordinate with the weekly theme, and teacher led instruction, our students are preparing for Kindergarten. Because of their age and refined social skills, the 5’s class is able to take a field trip nearly every month to integrate real-life experience with the classroom theme.

Rendezvous with Rita: A Literacy Lunch Bunch with Teacher Rita

6 students/1 teacher. Join Teacher Rita from 12noon to 1pm for an hour of small group emergent reading instruction and lunch! Activities to include stories, letter recognition, letter sounds, reading instruction, games, phonetic writing, and book-making.