Areas of Learning

Spiritual

Camano Lutheran Preschool believes that children are created in God’s image and that they are a gift to this world from Him. We encourage children to see God’s love through His creation, through His Son Jesus, and through learning to live lives that reflect the love that God showed us in sending His Son. We use scriptures to reinforce ideas that help children to understand that God loves everyone and that even though we are all unique, we are special to and loved by God.

“For God so loved the whole world . . .” John 3:16

“Be kind and compassionate to one another. . .” Ephesians 4:32

Social Emotional

Children mature at many different rates. Understanding this and helping parents and children as they navigate social and emotional maturing is part of getting ready to be successful in further academic and social endeavors. At Camano Lutheran Preschool we work with children to strengthen their social skills through large group activities, through team work, as well as sharing and caring for each other. We facilitate learning how to self regulate their emotions when upset, frustrated, sad, disappointed, or excited and happy, through planned activities, guided art, and literature. We actively work with children to understand the social clues given to them by other students, teachers and those they come in contact with. Giving children a positive experiences with Fire fighter/aid givers and law enforcement through on site visits from our local fire department and law enforcement teams, helps children recognize those they can go to in an emergency.

Cognitive

There are several aspects to cognitive learning. For children between the ages of 3-6, this is referring to their thinking and understanding. They are learning about spatial relationships and placement words. Understanding placement vocabulary is an important aspect of cognitive development. We facilitate critical thinking by creating scenarios where, through the guidance of the teacher, the children must find a solution to various problems. Allowing them to make mistakes is an important part of growth and we encouraging the children that when they experience set backs they can try a a new approach. We do this through open ended questions, that lead the child to begin to think through options or new ideas. This helps children develop not only critical thinking skills, but also the resilience and perseverance necessary to excel in future learning. We work on developing memory through counting, singing and poems or rhymes. We allow opportunities for the children to use their imaginations and engage in symbolic play. Each of these activities will strengthen the child’s cognitive development.

Language & Literacy

Making learning fun is an important part of Early Childhood Education. Through the use of stories, we introduce children to new ideas and old loved books. We use music and movement to reinforce learning and language development. Children at Camano Lutheran Preschool are exampled and encouraged to use the proper grip on pencils, crayons, and scissors to make future learning more productive. Strengthening the small muscles in their hands through using stiff tweezers in our sensory tables or playing with playdough helps further develop each child’s fine motor skills. We encourage children to use their words to communicate with adults and peers. We want each child to learn to have a voice, being comfortable to ask questions, and express emotions and ideas.

Mathematics & Science

It has been the goal of Camano Lutheran Preschool for many years now, to provide opportunities for young children to engage in S.T.E.A.M. learning through hands on projects and manipulatives. A child needs to know more than just rote counting, they need to have an understanding of what those number names represent. There are many fun activities that the children engage in that helps them develop this understanding that they will build on in their future learning. We also enjoy giving the children opportunities to learn about the world we live in. Whether it is looking into a microscope to view something that they have never been able to see before or mixing child safe elements to observe a chemical reaction, our goal is to peek curiosity and inspire children to want to learn more.

Art & Play

Allowing children to use their imaginations and to freely express themselves through various mediums of art, is an important part of Early Learning. We also teach children to do product art, a way to develop fine motor skills, listening skills and multi step direction. Although many projects are teacher directed, you can see the personality and touch of each individual child on the finished project. Art is another way to reinforce concepts such as color identification, verbal skills, and even mathematics and science.

Playing is another form of learning and without it our children will not develop fully. Playing involves cooperation, sharing, communication, and learning to be content playing alone. Play should never be diminished as less important than other areas of learning. The development of large muscles that support motor development are many times overlooked. Running, jumping, and just being free to play give children balance and in a world where screen time takes up a large percentage of their time, indoor and outdoor play become even more crucial.