Pre Kindergarten

Mountain Hill School Pre-Kindergarten

At Mountain Hill School, we are thrilled to offer a fun, engaging, and hands-on Pre-Kindergarten experience that fosters creativity and curiosity. Our program is designed to encourage exploration, helping each child develop the confidence, enthusiasm, and readiness they need to excel in Pre-Kindergarten!

Instructional Approach

Our teaching methods are varied and include small-group activities, whole-class sessions, and one-on-one instruction. This variety ensures we meet the needs of each child while helping them build confidence in their abilities. Centers play an important role in our curriculum by providing opportunities for working in small groups that foster social interaction, imaginative play, and skill development. Children rotate through a variety of centers each day, such as art, math games, handwriting practice, science, music, and more. Each center is carefully designed with specific learning goals in mind, with some teacher-directed and others independent.

A favorite feature of our Pre-K program is the ever-changing dramatic play area. Each month, children dive into new themes—like a flower shop, diner, campsite, or pizza parlor—that encourage role-playing and social development.

Literacy Development & Writing Skills

In our literacy program, children work with groups of letters in non-alphabetical order, focusing on phonetic sounds rather than letter names. This approach helps them to learn and form simple words throughout the year. Each letter is introduced through a variety of fun activities, including songs, games, and projects that have them mastering the letter sounds rather than memorizing. We maintain a print-rich environment, and reading is a key, enjoyable part of every day. With each step of our program, your child will become excited as they get closer to reading on their own!

Our “Handwriting Without Tears” program makes writing fun and accessible, helping children develop fine motor skills and correct letter formation through hands-on activities with materials like wooden pieces, playdough, and chalkboards. As the year progresses, students use journals to express themselves, starting with pictures and gradually progressing to “kid-writing.”

Math Exploration

Math comes to life in our Pre-K classrooms through hands-on activities and real-world experiences. Children build critical thinking skills by exploring math concepts through play and role-playing in centers. Our focus is on the process rather than the product, allowing children to explore counting, measuring, sorting, patterning, addition, and subtraction in a meaningful way.

                                                                        Science and Nature

Science is a central part of our Pre-K curriculum. Children are natural scientists, eager to explore and observe the world around them. We take full advantage of our outdoor environment, with activities like feeding farm animals, observing nature, and conducting simple experiments. Our unique setting allows us to incorporate projects such as building caves to learn about hibernation or studying the metamorphosis of butterflies. Each month, a guest scientist from Play2Learn visits to lead hands-on experiments, bringing scientific processes to life for our students.

Social Studies Exploration

Our Social Studies curriculum is equally unique, with engaging units like the “Gingerbread Man Around the World” and “David the Gnome’s Adventures.”  In one of our Pre-K classes, we have the Gingerbread Man who journeys to many different countries, sending postcards from each one, telling us where he is and what it is like. The class then explores these countries and learns about the culture, the food, the language and other fun facts. In our other Pre-K class, David the Gnome travels around the United States to discover different habitats.  The children learn about the places he visits such as the climate, what is grown there, the animals that inhabit that region and more. These projects introduce children to different countries, habitats, and cultural facts, fostering curiosity and broadening their understanding of the world.

Music and Movement

Music is an integral part of our day, with songs, dancing, and rhythm games that help children develop an appreciation for music. We use instruments like rhythm sticks, boom whackers, and xylophones to explore sound and rhythm. Throughout the year, professional musicians visit to share their talents and inspire our students. Our Holiday Show and end-of-year Graduation performance are highlights that showcase the musical skills the children have developed.

Full and Half-Day Options

We offer both half-day and full-day Pre-Kindergarten programs. All classrooms are equipped with SMART boards to enhance learning, and our full-day students also enjoy weekly Spanish lessons and bi-monthly children’s yoga.

Special Days and Events

Throughout the year, our Pre-K students enjoy a variety of special events, including the Fall Festival, Polar Express trip, Pajama Party, Mother’s Day Celebration, and our annual Spring Class Trip and Fun Day.

A Bright Future Ahead

We are confident that your child will thrive in our Pre-K program, gaining a solid foundation in academics, social skills, and creativity. Our goal is to foster a love for learning that will serve them well in Kindergarten, and beyond.