Environment
Our bright and relaxed classrooms offer a calm and peaceful place to play and learn. Each one of our classrooms lead to our natural play space so it’s easy to take a lesson outside, put on a play on the deck, and even finish an art project in the gardens.
Pre-Kindergarten students here at Wellspring Preparatory Academy play to learn. Language development, phonics, sight words, number skills, poetry, social and emotional skills, creative art, and handwriting.
Curriculum
Language Development
At Wellspring Preparatory Academy, we know that this year is such a pivotal year. Full of academic learning, building friendships, and learning how to communicate effectively. Our Whole Child Program addresses each aspect with compassion and care. By the end of Pre-Kindergarten, children at Wellspring will be able to read both Consonant-Vowel-Consonant words, long vowel words, simple sentences, sight words, and decode words with digraphs.
Cognitive development is also tied strongly to language development. They can follow longer directions and put actions and thoughts into sequences. They love to create new songs, plays, and use their imagination. Our classrooms are designed to give all children a secure and supportive place to build a firm foundation for Kindergarten.
Patterns, number formation, and concepts, shapes, one-to-one correspondence, classifying, addition, and subtraction are just a few ways that children learn good mathematical skills to take to Kindergarten.
Here at Wellspring, we engage with our numerical concepts two-fold. Naturally, with play throughout the day, and a more structured academic approach.
Numbers
Handwriting
Here at Wellspring Preparatory Academy, we believe that handwriting is an important skill to learn. Fine motor control over the small hand muscles enables our children to create fun projects, write and draw letters to their friends and family, and help facilitate Language Development skills.
Pre-Kindergarten is an exciting time for children to learn peer relationships, independence skills, and learning how to deal with challenges. Our Whole Child Curriculum teaches all children how to create loving, kind, and compassionate relationships. Supportive teachers facilitate friendships, help communicate emotions, and talk through how to deal with any challenges that arise. Children develop trust, compassion, empathy, and a sense of right and wrong in our positive and welcoming environment.
Social and Emotional
Fine and Gross Motor Skills
Physical activity and fine motor control come strongly into play during Pre-Kindergarten. It’s imperative for their growth and development that children have different surface textures, levels, and challenges. Our classroom movement and natural playground intrinsically call for children to use all of their body strength and develop skills.
Four-year-olds are becoming much more nimble and eager to manipulate the environment around them. They are eager to dive into a craft project using scissors, markers, and folds. Wellspring offers many opportunities to explore their surroundings and build their confidence in their ability to be independent.
Music is such an integral part of our development and how we connect and communicate together. Wellspring uses drama plays, multiple forms of music, poetry, and instruments to help facilitate the natural movement of children. They will memorize and act out poems and plays, as well as have a world of materials to create their own magic. Activities such as sewing fabric, painting backdrops, using toys and materials, and writing down words to a new play are all encouraged here at Wellspring Preparatory Academy.
Music and Movement
Sensory
Sensory isn’t just for the younger children. All children (including most adults) are naturally drawn to new and interesting textures, smells, sounds, tastes, and sights. We continue our philosophy of Whole Child Curriculum and help expand their world. We introduce new veggies/fruits to try, bring in materials that engage the imagination, plant new herbs and flowers, and our natural playground is a magical place where children can explore new textures and sights.
Art time is all the time here at Wellspring Preparatory Academy. During language development, number concepts, handwriting, imaginative play, and outdoors, all art and creativity are encouraged. We use many materials including watercolors, clay, beeswax, paint, coloring, buttons, yarn, sewing, gluing, and what we find in nature.
Art
Outdoors
Wellspring Preparatory Academy is Whole Child-focused. We believe that all children do best when they are allowed to explore nature and are exposed to different situations in a safe and secure environment.
Our natural playgrounds are created to inspire creativity, imagination, and enable children to use their developing skills to jump, run, and climb. As well as a restful play to enjoy a picnic, chat with friends, or read a book under a tree.
Click here to learn more about our natural spaces.