Pre-K & Kindergarten

Language Arts – Communication is the primary focus in Pre-K. Students work on following directions, listening to others, turn-taking, and using their words to express ideas and observations. Conversing with peers, teachers, and community members during project work is an important way to develop and build upon these skills. A variety of activities including books, the writing center, the listening center, dramatic play, and art activities are available daily for children to explore and practice language.

Mathematics – Math is explored daily through natural opportunities and hands-on experiences. Numbers are viewed and counted daily during calendar activities, number signs in the classroom, counting friends, and other daily occurrences. Math concepts are explored through hands-on materials, such as puzzles, counting objects, sorting objects, fun manipulatives, art, and cooking activities. There is a focus on problem-solving skills, number recognition, shape recognition, size comparison, patterning, graphing, and measurement. 

Personal Development – Students are encouraged to embody the CCDS virtues of Compassion, Courage, Integrity, Respect, and Responsibility. They demonstrate these virtues daily through respectful, honest, and courageous actions. Play- and project-based learning fosters responsibility and stewardship. Students develop social skills like communication, turn-taking, and conflict resolution, which enhance their self-concept and success. They work on making good choices, following directions, and thinking independently. Self-help skills such as hand washing, dressing, toileting, and packing school bags are also emphasized, teaching children to care for their personal needs by trying first and then seeking help.

Science – Students ask questions, use their senses to collect information, and make observations to help find answers to their curiosities. Sharing their findings with peers help them develop a deeper understanding. Students explore the mixing of colors to expand their knowledge of primary and secondary colors. Walks outside enable the children to observe and identify changes in the environment as the seasons change. They focus on learning a variety of scientific concepts based on their projects and children's interest.

Social Studies – Students work to build a classroom community and understand the importance of sharing, manners, and respecting rules and expectations. Children learn about the entire CCDS community and campus with walks outside, from the playing fields to the horse trails. Through cross-divisional events, the children learn confidence, whether meeting administrators, staff, faculty, or students from other grades and divisions. They gain a strong sense of ownership and understanding of the CCDS culture.

Specials – On a 6-day rotation schedule, Pre-K students participate in specials classes that include: Musical Movement, Outdoor Education, and Swimming.

Language Arts – Students participate in small reading groups, focusing on strategies such as decoding, fluency, and comprehension. Students read to self, the teacher, or with a partner to practice concepts of print and the use of story language. The daily phonics lessons provide explicit, structured phonics lessons focusing on decoding, blending, letter formation, and the acquisition of high-frequency words. Through writing, students will learn conventions of writing such as spacing, sentence structure, story development, and writing mechanics. Students practice phonetic spelling during their writing of stories.

Mathematics – Students will practice number sense by counting forward and backward, ordering, writing, comparing, reading, decomposing, and making sets. Studies of shapes, identifying special characteristics of each, and becoming familiar with 3-dimensional shapes are a focus throughout the year. Students will represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, verbal explanations, expressions, and equations. They will develop independence, stamina, conceptual understanding, and proficiency through our structured math framework. Throughout the semester, students will practice math concepts through whole group instruction and independent work.

Personal Development – Compassion, Courage, Integrity, Respect, and Responsibility are the virtues that Lower School students focus on through daily lessons and activities. Teachers observe and support kindergarteners interacting with their peers as well as adults. These virtues extend to taking responsibility for one’s actions, school materials, the environment, personal items, and in making appropriate choices. Kindergarteners begin to understand that learning is important work, and that challenges and effort are part of their learning process. The students engage in activities geared toward self-direction and responsibility, which include listening to others, following directions, concentrating, and completing a cycle of activities. During weekly Sources of Strength lessons, students identify and celebrate individuals’ strengths and discover how those strengths further develop our classroom community. Kindergarteners learn to work successfully as individuals and in a group setting.

Science – Students begin the year by asking essential questions regarding living and non-living characteristics and how to use observational skills to gather data. Nature walks on campus allow kindergarteners to use their observation skills and five senses. Animal groups, insects, nutrition, food groups, the digestive system, native birds, and the solar system are just some of the topics we cover in science. The students explore these science topics through project work, on our campus through outdoor education class, nature walks, and field trips.

Social Studies – Global awareness begins with self-awareness and continues with the year-long social studies focus of learning about our classroom and school community. Through a variety of activities, kindergarteners will learn about families and develop cultural awareness. Students will learn about the larger school community through activities such as delivering letters, spreading kindness through the school community, and participating in the Lower School House Meetings.

Specials – On a 6-day rotation schedule, kindergarten students participate in a wonderful array of specials classes that include: Art, Library, Music, Outdoor Education, Physical Education, Swimming, and World Language (French and Spanish).