John Milledge Academy Pre‑K | Play-Based Early Learning Skip to content Pre-K Life is a daily adventure when you are a preschooler at John Milledge Academy. Our program provides plenty of choices for your child to explore and grow. Preschoolers are given opportunities to play as they learn in a stimulating educational environment. The sounds of children laughing and playing are the sounds of children learning. In our Pre-Kindergarten Program children discover, explore, and learn through thematic units. Each unit is comprised of lessons or activities that set learning expectations or acquired skill objectives for the students. Our goals and objectives are designed to help children develop skills in the area of Language Development, Science and Technology, Gross and Fine Motor Skills, Math, Social Skills, Work Habits and Creative Music and Art. Kindergarten readiness is also practiced throughout the school year. We encourage each child to have a backpack to carry things home each day. We encourage independence at this point and in time they will handle their own belongings. We begin learning very important character building values. We have a scheduled time each week for Library, Music and Physical Education. Thematic units help children access their individual learning styles while providing opportunities for creativity and enrichment. Our curriculum allows for flexibility and thematic units may vary each year depending on the interests of all of our students. Additional Info Examples of Themes Real vs. Not Real Seasons and Weather Dinosaurs and Fairytales Nocturnal Animals/Arctic Animals Colors and Shapes Feelings and Emotions Nature and Habitats All About Me and The 5 Senses Flowers Community Helpers Holidays and Special Days Language Development Skills Listen to and follows directions Exposure to Alphabet: Letter Names, Uppercase and lowercase letters, and Sounds Recognize our name letters and names of friends (eventually write our name) Recognize and form numbers (manipulatives and eventually write) Predict stories from pictures Retell the main events in a story (eventually sequence) Recognize rhyming words (when spoken) Repeat simple rhymes, poems and fingerplays Engage in conversations with friends and teachers Increase vocabulary through everyday communication, activities, stories and books Concepts of print: left to right direction, holding a book right side up, title and author/illustrator Discuss books that have been read and pretends to read Look and use books appropriately Recognize familiar symbols and shapes (signs, pictures, objects) Dictates to describe familiar people, places or objects and pictures they draw Science and Technology Skills Explore science tools: Magnets found objects, magnifying glass, safety goggles, etc. Experience the world through nature walks, gardening and exploration Observe weather, plant life and the four seasons Explore the world with the five senses Learn about animals, the homes they live in and the food they eat Measure and mix ingredients through cooking activities Identify basic colors and explore color mixing Gross and Fine Motor Skills Hold a pencil, marker or crayon correctly (start out by modeling, encourage and support, but never force) Write name or names of friends by the end of the year Write letters and numbers by the end of the year Begin to draw pictures Develop fine motor skills: manipulating play dough, using scissors, painting, gluing, drawing, tracing, grip strength with tweezers, crumpling/tearing paper, building with Legos, using expo markers, geoboards (stretching rubber bands), hammering, etc. Math Introduce Numbers 1-20 Counting objects to 10 (varies by student) Use one-to-one correspondence Sort by color, shape and size Compare (size and amounts) and measure (with manipulatives) Identify and say the names of shapes (circle, square, diamond, triangle, rectangle, heart, star, oval, octagon) Recognize AB and ABBA patterns and can repeat them Demonstrate awareness of time: Daytime and Nighttime, daily schedule Explore money with games and pretend Play (money is used to buy things) Social Skills and Work Habits Practice using manners Share personal information: first and last name, age, birthday, school name, city, state and country, parents’/guardians/household names Participate cooperatively in small group and large group settings Work with a group or a partner on a variety of projects Identify and describe personal feelings, needs and interests Adapt to transitions and new environments within the school setting Demonstrate appropriate trust in adults Communicate his or her needs and manage emotions in age-appropriate ways Demonstrate independence (ongoing skill) Take responsibility for actions and well-being Respect and care for classroom environment and materials Follow classroom rules and routines Engage in play independently and with other children Creative Music & Art Sing traditional songs and songs that enhance the curriculum Participate in movement songs and dances Participate in dramatic play and dramatize familiar stories Act out movements and sounds that enhance the curriculum Use a variety of art materials: crayons, paint, water color, colored pencils, markers, chalk, and clay Experiment with mixing paint colors Tour Pre-K with us! Call 478.452.5570 ext. 401