5-Day Pre-Kindergarten Class

CCP 5-day pre-kindergarten class

Ages: Open to 4-5 year olds. Children must be age 4 by September 1st.

Meets: Monday through Friday mornings.

Overview: This class is designed to help your child develop the social, emotional, and academic skills needed to excel in Kindergarten. The Pre-K program incorporates a project-based, student-interest-driven curriculum that includes monthly field trips and talented visitors to the classroom.

The topics covered during the school year may include, depending on student interests: colors, shapes, senses, seasons/calendar, holidays, counting, animals and pets, families, name and address recognition, community helpers, letter recognition, Native Americans, dinosaurs, recycling and conservation, health and hospitals, tools and woodworking, musical instruments, dance, transportation, outer space, food and nutrition, art appreciation, and the introduction to a variety of cultures.

One particularly noteworthy highlight of the 5-Day Pre-K class at CCP is the Art Show. Each year the students learn about various influential artists and then use each artists' technique to create their own work of art to be showcased at the end of the year when their classroom is transformed into an art gallery.

5-Day Pre-Kindergarten Classroom Routine

Time Overview Details
8:30 AM - 8:45 AM Arrival/Greeting/Free Play
  • Greeting from teacher upon arrival
  • Wash hands
  • Free play or Book look
8:45 AM - 9:05 AM Group Meeting
(Large Group Learning)
  • Weather
  • Counting/Letter of the Week
  • Secret Sack
  • Review of the day's activities
  • Group discussion
9:05 AM - 9:35 AM Large Motor Play or Outdoor Recess
  • Outdoor play on beautiful, tree-shaded, fenced playground with tricycle path, play structure with slides, large sand box, and playhouse
  • Indoor play in Gross Motor room with large play equipment, sand table, kitchen, puppet theater, and indoor riding toys
9:35 AM - 9:40 AM Wash hands
9:40 AM - 10:00 AM Snack (provided by CCP) and Book Look
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM Play Plans at Learning Centers
  • Art projects
  • Group projects
10:45 AM - 11:10 AM Clean-up and Story Time
11:10 AM - 11:20 AM Music Time
11:25 AM Dismissal of non-Playtime Plus Students
11:20 AM - 12:15 PM Playtime PLUS
  • Extended multi-aged play on the outdoor playground or in the classrooms & gross motor room during incliment weather

"Excellent staff interaction with children. Staff model respect, cooperation, flexibility, patience. Staff provide environment in which children feel comfortable, relaxed, happy and involved in play ... Classrooms are bright, inviting. Individual interest areas are arranged to promote independent learning ... Emphasis on self-exploration, creativity, (and) independence."

-- 2008 State of IL Dept. of Chidren and Family Services (DCFS) Annual Review --