The early childhood program at ACDS enrolls children from ages three through five. The three classes – Early Childhood 3, Pre-Kindergarten 4, and Pre-Kindergarten 5 – are designed to facilitate the transition from the family-centered life of a child to a member of a larger school community. As children transition through the early childhood program, they are exposed to varied curriculum which allows them to experience the joy of participating in organized classroom activities. At the same time, these children will be learning to respect others and practicing skills to gain responsible independence.
For each class, a specific curriculum is developed that includes language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. Additional instruction is offered in art, library, and physical education. The curriculum in both math and language arts becomes more structured in the upper levels of the program. This helps to ensure the building of a strong foundation of basic readiness skills needed in the Lower School.
Our classrooms are spacious, bright, and inviting for young children. The atmosphere is conducive to learning and creates an exciting physical experience as well. Visual, tactile, and auditory methods of learning are used as each child begins to develop his/her own learning style. Character education is included in our curriculum to assist children in identifying their life values and allowing them to act upon them. Emphasis on core values and virtues will help children choose appropriate strategies for living and cooperating with others.
We invite you to visit our early childhood classrooms. We take great pride in showing visitors our nurturing educational environment. Our goal is to foster a love of learning and create an experience which enhances emotional, social, and academic growth.