Pre-Kindergarten and
Kindergarten Readiness

KBPC embraces the philosophy of providing children with meaningful and intentional instruction through the Place Based Approach where aspects of the Lake Tahoe region are embedded within the curriculum. We embrace standards as outlined by No Child Left Behind Act, in the Pre-Kindergarten Learning & Developmental Guidelines manual, California Department of Education (2000), National Pre-Kindergarten standards as outlined in Make Early Learning Standards Come Alive; Connecting Your Practice and Curriculum to State Guidelines (Gronlund, 2006).

Each of these resources is accessible to all members of the KBPC. Members are made knowledgeable of the contents of each of these resources, via parent classes, in order that each parent understands curriculum as a teacher. 

Our early preschool program focuses on social, emotional, cognitive, creative, motor and language development utilizing set content areas, opportunity for open exploration, and a licensed professional with the support of parent aides. This program is for children between the ages of two and six years old. Monthly themes encompass content areas including Math, Science, Creative Play, Music, and Health, which rotate daily to complete an entire week. Children are provided the opportunity to explore content in a playful approach on a daily basis.  Circle time is additional structure to the children’s day, as they are encouraged to develop listening, speaking and attention skills. 

Our Kindergarten Readiness program extends the focus on social, emotional, cognitive, creative, motor and language development through adopted programs to strengthen children’s skills in specific content areas. We utilize Zoo Phonics and Handwriting Without Tears to grow and support children’s vocabulary, story recitation, and emphasize music, movement, and manipulation of tools to provide salient contexts for children to acquire language skills. 

Children in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Readiness programs have daily opportunities for physical activity through a variety of venues including, outside play in two arenas and featuring different gross motor skill toys such as bike riding, climbing, swinging and includes games facilitated by a teacher and/or parents. Children also enjoy hikes to nearby creeks through the “Horsetail Forest” and the surrounding forest so familiar in the Lake Tahoe area.  Picnics are a part of these hikes and children spend a large portion in the great outdoors at the KBPC. 

Kindergarten

KBPC embraces the philosophy of providing children with meaningful and intentional instruction through the Place Based Approach where aspects of the Lake Tahoe region are embedded within the curriculum. We embrace standards as outlined by No Child Left Behind Act, in the Pre-Kindergarten Learning & Developmental Guidelines manual, California Department of Education (2000), National Pre-Kindergarten standards as outlined in Make Early Learning Standards Come Alive; Connecting Your Practice and Curriculum to State Guidelines (Gronlund, 2006).

Each of these resources is accessible to all members of the KBPC. Members are made knowledgeable of the contents of each of these resources, via parent classes, in order that each parent understands curriculum as a teacher. 

Our Kindergarten program focuses on the whole child while emphasizing academics to a more stringent level. Our credentialed teachers create salient learning contexts through Place Based instruction in multi-age classrooms. Features of the Lake Tahoe region are explored as children exchange leadership and learner roles throughout the school year. Our interdisciplinary approach with curriculum emphasizes connections between content areas and supports individual growth as children explore the world they live. Teachers are able to spend more time with children developing deeper understanding of concepts as a reflection of our small classroom sizes.

Language Arts:
Language development is the driving force behind all content areas where children are expected to develop language consistent to each discipline. Sing, Spell, Read, and Write represent a strong phonics programs weaved throughout language arts. Handwriting Without Tears is utilized for building vocabulary, story recitation through the emphasis of music, movement, and manipulation of tools to provide salient contexts for children to acquire language skills. Children are encouraged to write independently on a daily basis and share their discoveries through writing.

Math:
Saxon Mathematics is utilized as an interactive program emphasizing skills for calendar reading, counting, shape, number, and place value recognition as well as context engrossed vocabulary. Our success with the program lends itself to the concrete level of instruction and an independent pace for each child. Math concepts are explored in "real" contexts where manipulatives like, charts, and flashcards, and cubes expand the opportunities for children to learn. Support instruction in and outside of the classroom play important roles in our math curriculum.

Discipline Program

Our discipline program is parent generated to instill three important life skills with our children:

1. Safety
2. Responsibility
3. Respect

Our parents have agreed upon a procedure for providing our children with the skills to take responsibility for safety and respect toward each other when a conflict arises, parents will:

1. Stop the action
2. State the problem
3. Validate feelings
4. Offer solutions/choices