firefighters with students

Pre-K & Kindergarten

Our PK4-Kindergarten program is the formal beginning of a child’s lifetime of learning. We want to set each student on a course to love God and love learning. Our goal is to partner with parents to provide a strong foundation for each child in a loving, nurturing, Christ-centered environment.

Paideia Academy’s PK4 curriculum balances introductory academic skills with play and social training to begin developing positive attitudes about school and learning in every student. Students will enjoy Bible stories, singing, and math and language centers. Training in self-discipline and self-control, listening, following instructions, and cooperation will be emphasized through individual and group participation, preparing the students for the transition to Kindergarten.

There are three main subject areas of focus in our Kindergarten program – Bible, math, and language. The students begin learning these basics through the use of creative songs, chants, recitation, and games. Teaching methods involving multiple senses and much repetition are characteristic of this stage of the classical model, and the children love it! Kindergarten instruction includes phonics, reading readiness, math, and other language skills such as handwriting and spelling, essential for preparing students for our School of Grammar.

Paideia family

“Our son’s Kindergarten experience was everything we hoped for and more! The teaching approach was energetic, loving, and fun. He truly thrived in this environment and is moving forward with a strong educational foundation and love of learning.”

KAREN & STEPHEN CALDWELL

parents

Schedule

For both PK4 and Kindergarten, you can choose 5 full days or 3 full days. In Kindergarten, the 3-day program is a university schedule option, where parents do school at home with work prepared by the school the other two days.

Age Requirements

Generally, a child should reach the age of four years by June 1st of the year in which he is applying to the PK4 program and the age of five years by June 1st of the year in which he enters Kindergarten at Paideia.

What if my child has a summer birthday?
Your child is turning five this summer, and you are both excited about starting Kindergarten in the fall! We can imagine your disappointment to learn that at Paideia you would not be eligible until the following year.

Our June 1 cut-off date is not dictated as much by the young child’s readiness or giftedness but by developmental stages of children over the course of their academic career. We see a pattern of developmental humps, particularly around the second, fifth, and seventh grade years, where younger students tend to get stuck. This is not because the student is not bright or hardworking but simply because their natural development has not yet caught up with the academic program requirements. For this reason, many classical schools adopt this early cut-off.

We do not find that older students are bored or wanting for challenge at any point in our school; they are often the class leaders. However, smaller class sizes, personal attention, and parent involvement allow for additional challenge for the exceptional student as needed.

We encourage interested Kindergarten families who are affected by this cut-off to participate in our PK4 program. We feel that the long-term benefits offered through our school mission and culture will outweigh the disappointment of a deferred year.