Early Learning
The Early Learning Village is a place of discovery. Our youngest eagles are provided multiple opportunities to play, collaborate, explore and discover. Your child will develop intellectually, socially, physically, and spiritually in a place where they are loved by an exceptionally qualified staff. We encourage all children to reach their full potential and foster the joy of learning in our Christ-centered community. Jackson Christian Elementary is one of 15 schools in the state that is STEM certified. The Early Learning Village lays the foundation that supports STEM education in elementary.
You can be confident that Jackson Christian is committed to making your child’s first transition from home a natural and easy one for you and your child. Our teachers will rock, cuddle, and talk to your baby. Teachable moments will be based on your child’s individual needs and developmental level.
STIMULATING ENVIRONMENT: Your child will have plenty of room for movement and exploration. Carefully selected books and toys will positively affect your child’s language, motor, cognitive and social skills. Reading, talking and singing with your baby is a priority in order to encourage language development. A balance of planned and spontaneous activities based on your little one’s developmental needs and interests will help him/her grow at his or her own pace.
LOVE AND SAFETY ARE PRIORITIES: As babies’ motor skills increase, attempts at sitting, crawling, walking may be unsteady at first. We realize this and our trained, observant teachers keep this in mind as they make decisions and interact with your little one. Our teachers are careful observers and are responsive to the physical and emotional needs of your child.
BIBLE: Daily Bible time with songs and motions to begin to lay your child’s foundation in the love of God.
EARLY LITERACY: A language-rich environment which fosters the awareness of sounds and speech is essential to language development. Literacy activities include songs, finger-plays, developmentally appropriate books, shared reading time, nursery rhymes, environmental print, story-time, large and small group instruction.
MATH: Hands on learning activities are used to strengthen problem-solving and reasoning skills. Comparing sizes/amounts, counting, matching, shape recognition, and sorting are explored.
SCIENCE: Concepts and units include: self-awareness, family, home, school, plants, animals, and safety.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Concepts and units include: self-awareness, family, home, school, plants, animals, and safety.
EXPLORER CLASSES: Spanish, P.E., and Music
BIBLE: Teaching children the love of God and instilling an awareness of the many blessings God gives us. Stories and themes will include: Creation, God gives us families, Noah’s ark, Joseph, David and Goliath, Birth of Jesus, Jesus’ miracles.
EARLY LITERACY: Continuing to provide a language rich environment helps to strengthen language development. Literacy activities include: developmentally appropriate books, rhythm/rhyme/song to promote phonemic awareness, story time, large/small group instruction, thematic units, and name recognition.
MATH: Hands on learning activities extend reasoning and problem solving skills. Concepts include: shapes, colors, size, matching, sorting, counting, comparing, one-to-one correspondence, simple patterns, directional words, sequencing,
SCIENCE: Concepts such as cause and effect and self-awareness help children make observations on the world around them. Themes include: all about me, animals, plants, seasons, weather and insects.
STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, Math) Projects/Units: Several STREAM activities will be done throughout the year.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Concepts and units will include self-awareness, citizenship, community helpers, holidays, fire safety, feelings, where we live, people in our school.
BIBLE: Teaching children the love of God and instilling an awareness of the many blessings God gives us. Stories and themes from The Beginner’s Bible will include: Creation, God gives us families, Noah’s ark, Joseph, David and Goliath, Birth of Jesus, Jesus’ miracles.
EXPLORER CLASSES: Physical Education, Spanish, Music, and Computer
EARLY LITERACY: Fostering a lifelong love of reading, literacy development is promoted through Circle-Time, story time, whole and small group instruction, learning centers, and play. Oral language development, strengthening vocabulary, phonological awareness, and alphabet knowledge are emphasized.
MATH: Hands-on learning activities develop an awareness of the value and uses of mathematics. Concepts include: number sense (numbers, counting, one-to-one correspondence, quantity, size), geometry (shapes, spatial relationships), sorting (attributes, similarities and differences), patterns (order, creating and duplicating patterns, predictions), measurement (standard and non-standard, measurement terms).
SCIENCE: Topics include: my senses, taking care of myself, staying safe, plants, animals habitats, and insects. STREAM projects/units are incorporated into thematic units.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Concepts and units include: my school and friends, families, places we go, people we meet, holidays and traditions.
BIBLE: Teaching children the love of God and establishing an awareness of God’s role in their lives as they grow is of primary importance. Students will learn Bible words and memory verses relating to the letter of the week. Incorporating the Bible into every day activities is stressed.
EXPLORER CLASSES: Spanish, Computer Science, Physical Education, Music
PHONICS: Start-up Phonics curriculum from Benchmark Education creates opportunities for students at different stages of literary growth with varied experiences. It also builds a foundation for successful phonemic and phonological awareness as well as offers explicit instruction/review of letter recognition and formation.
READING, SOCIAL STUDIES, SCIENCE: Reading, Social Studies and Science are taught through Unit Studies developed to cover the standards included in the TN-ELDS for 4 year olds. These units are designed to incorporate fictional and informational literature into each area of study. These units include: All About Me, Our Community, Health, Heritage, and Traditions, The Wonders of Winter, Literature (Folk and Fairy Tales, Fables, Nursery Rhymes), Springtime Discoveries, Ocean and Safari Adventures Additional Reading Resources: Learning A-Z Learning A-Z helps teachers differentiate their instruction with customized online learning solutions for each student. RAZ-KIDS / Reading A-Z RAZ-KIDS gives each student access to hundreds of interactive, leveled books. Engaging children at their reading level and in their area of interest gives them the practice they need to become better, more confident readers.
MATH: Everyday Mathematics provides children with a balanced mathematics curriculum that is rich in real-world problem solving opportunities. It requires children to: make sense of problems and persevere in solving them, reason abstractly and quantitatively, model with mathematics, use appropriate tools strategically, attend to precision, look for and make use of structure, and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Art, Mathematics): STREAM projects will be incorporated into thematic units throughout the year.
BIBLE: The Beginner’s Bible is used to bring to life more than 90 Bible stories from the Old and New Testament. Lessons and memory verses teach and inspire children to learn and live out their faith!
EXPLORER CLASSES: Spanish, Music, Library, P.E., and Computer Science
