Curriculum

The ability to teach scriptural truth through a developmentally appropriate and comprehensive curriculum is at the heart of our Christian preschool. This approach allows teachers to focus on the whole child; helping young learners understand they are created, known, and loved by God is the cornerstone of our program. DC’s Early Childhood Center will provide a solid foundation for future academic success.

The ECC curriculum is grounded on a biblical worldview so that the foundations of the Christian faith are interwoven into each subject matter. Each lesson should reveal to our students the character and nature of God, who man is, the nature of the world, man’s purpose in life, the effects of sin and promises of God, and how to evaluate what is true.

Beyond the walls of our classrooms, DC’s thirty-three acre bio-diverse Lower Campus is a vast outdoor classroom. Science lessons, art lessons, and more take place at our creek, in the woods, and in our gardens, allowing students to have a learning experience that regularly extends beyond the classroom walls.

PK2

The two year old classroom is an adventure every day where you find kids laughing, singing, and buzzing around the room as they learn. Every day consists of music & movement, art, snack, Bible, centers, crafts, storytime, recess, nature walks, and color hunts, with the goal of building important fundamental character traits through social interaction, imaginative play, and exploration of the world God created.

These precious students are little sponges with smiles on their faces each day ready to soak up all they can learn. Each student knows he or she is loved and in a safe place where their faith and academics can grow and flourish. It is a pleasure to partner with the parents in training these little ones up in the ways of the Lord.

- Allison Christman, PK2 Teacher

PK3

PK3 is a special year where the children grow in their independence and build foundational school readiness skills. They are exploring the world around them and making connections to skills they are learning in the classroom. Many academic concepts are taught through play in centers indoors and outdoors.

The children engage with the world around them through a multi-sensory approach to prepare minds and muscles for lifelong learning. They learn to love and glorify God by exploring His creation, establishing positive social skills with others, and most importantly studying God’s word to learn more about Him. Each day is filled with love, fun and a growing sense of wonder!

- PK3 Teacher

PK4

Frogstreet DIG: Develop Inspire Grow

With pre-K expectations on the rise, covering all the skills that go into each pre-K day can be challenging. That’s why today’s pre-K teachers love DIG Pre-K! The intentional design and balance of developmentally appropriate instruction and purposeful play make kindergarten readiness accessible for all children and attainable for all teachers.

DIG’s supports children on their path to kindergarten readiness in six critical areas:

Social-emotional connections to help children relate to one another and the world they live in
Intentional oral language development that leads to critical-thinking skills
Early math experiences to foster curiosity and practice problem solving skills
Exposure to literacy-rich environments that build strong reading identities
Progress monitoring and real-time assessment data to guide children toward Kindergarten
Daily doses of Professional Development for teachers to develop, feel inspired, and grow to their maximum potential

Language

Letter People is a program utilized in PK4 to get children talking, moving, interacting, experimenting, drawing, counting and, ultimately, reading and writing. Children of all ages form an immediate connection with the cute and quirky Letter People Puppets. They want to learn all about their new friends, and when they do, they are also learning letter names, letter sounds, and a wide variety of oral language skills. The program has been tried and tested in classrooms around the nation for over 30 years.

Kindergarten

Reading

As a recognized leader in multisensory, structured language programs, Wilson brings more than a decade of systematic and explicit instruction to the K-3 classroom. Based on the Wilson Reading System® principles, Wilson Fundations® provides research-based materials and strategies essential to a comprehensive reading, spelling, and handwriting program. Wilson Fundations makes learning to read fun while laying the groundwork for life-long literacy. Students in grades K-3 receive a systematic program in critical foundational skills, emphasizing:

Phonemic awareness
Phonics/ word study
High-frequency word study
Reading fluency
Vocabulary
Comprehension strategies
Handwriting
Spelling

Math

Everyday Mathematics is a research-based and field-tested curriculum that focuses on developing children’s understandings and skills in ways that produce life-long mathematical power.

The Everyday Mathematics curriculum emphasizes:

Use of concrete, real-life examples that are meaningful and memorable as an introduction to key mathematical concepts.
Repeated exposures to mathematical concepts and skills to develop children’s ability to recall knowledge from long-term memory.
Frequent practice of basic computation skills to build mastery of procedures and quick recall of facts, often through games and verbal exercises.
Use of multiple methods and problem-solving strategies to foster true proficiency and accommodate different learning styles.

Each grade of the Everyday Mathematics curriculum is carefully designed to build and expand a student’s mathematical proficiency and understanding.

Bible Curriculum

The goal of the Purposeful Design Elementary Bible series is for every student to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, developed and nurtured by engagement with the Bible in this series.

The following themes and concepts are woven throughout the series both directly and indirectly:

God tells His great story in the Bible. God’s Word displays His nature, His works, and His plan of redemption.
God’s Word is truth. Because God’s Word is true, the series presents students with Bible truths, not Bible stories.
God loves everyone. God loves and cares for people. His desire is for all people to have a right relationship with Him. His intentions toward every person are always gracious and good.
Everyone needs to come to a saving faith in Jesus. The series often presents the message of repentance, personal faith, and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
Christlike behavior, evangelism, ministry, stewardship, and apologetics are all applications of spiritual growth in Christ.
Bible study, prayer, and worship are disciplines for spiritual growth.
Students need to know and understand spiritual concepts.