Ascension Day School’s curriculum is based on the Whole Child philosophy of age appropriate practice. As such, each child is nurtured physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. According to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, “all preschools should…develop students who are academically proficient AND physically and emotionally healthy AND respectful, responsible and caring.” The National Association for the Education of Young Children endorses the Whole Child Curriculum as the most effective program for preschool years.
Ascension Day School meets these standards by providing developmentally appropriate activities in the following areas:
Physically (gross motor & fine motor development):
- Outdoor play time – sliding, climbing, digging, etc.
- Movement activities – dancing, finger plays, music
- Cutting, painting, drawing, coloring, writing, playing with play dough.
Emotionally & Socially:
- Learning to share with others
- Taking turns
- Following directions
- Participating in a group setting
- Learning manners
- Becoming aware of the needs and wants of others
Intellectually:
- Recognition of letters & numbers 1-20
- Associating letters with sounds
- Ability to listen to stories and recall events
- Participate in small group activities (calendar, circle time, finger plays)
- Recognition of shapes & colors
- Sequencing & sorting objects
Spiritually:
- Chapel once a week – includes verbal responses, listening to a lesson and learning about God’s love
- Monthly Bible verse
- Teaching of manners, kindness towards others and awareness of others feelings.