Stepping Stones

 

• Strong emphasis on hands-on learning 

• Outdoor learning  

• A multitude of age-appropriate activities

• Nurturing teacher-child interactions

• Patterning, sequencing and number sense 

• Introductory Sign Language and Spanish vocabulary

• Phonological awareness

• Literacy-rich environments

• Independent and group activities

• Nutritional snacks and lunch

• Daily communication with teachers and administration

• Learning activities based on the Virginia Foundation Blocks & Standards of Learning

• Healthy and safe environment

• Continuous social and emotional development

• Emphasis on fine and gross motor skills

• Lots of laughter and love

 

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Small Learning Groups

 

Small learning groups allow each teacher to meet individual needs while encouraging each student to recognize his or her own worth. The development of a child’s self-esteem, creativity, academic achievement and joy of learning is intertwined in daily routines. Research shows children in small classes receive much more personal attention which fosters greater achievement. 

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Infants, Toddlers & Twos

 

Our program focuses on teaching each child how to learn, while nurturing their potential and rewarding their efforts through positive praise. Emphasis is placed on the role that social skills and personal interaction play in building a foundation for a lifetime of learning.

 

Studies show that the most important years of a child’s brain development and learning patterns occur from infancy to age 5. Barefoot Kids has designed a unique, fun-filled program to create an appreciation and joy of learning in young children. This is not your typical childcare or preschool, but rather an early learning program based on love, support, and a classroom dynamic to make your child feel at home while growing.

 

The foundation for our thematic-based curriculum is the Experience Early Learning Curriculum, which is a VDOE-Approved Early Childhood Curriculum. This curriculum provides thematic-based units for infancy through Pre-Kindergarten. This Christian-based curriculum allows children to grow and develop as Jesus did in “wisdom and stature” and in “favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52). Each unit provides guidance and activities to develop language, pre-reading, and other foundational skills appropriate to his or her stage of development. Physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual development are also interrelated.

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Key concepts in this age group:

• Flexible schedules to meet the individual needs of the child

• Social interaction

• Self-help skills

• Color and shape recognition

• Sign language and Spanish introduction

• Fine and gross motor development

• Quality Christian characteristics are introduced

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Preschool & Pre-Kindergarten

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The foundation for our thematic-based curriculum is the Experience Early Learning Curriculum, which is a VDOE-Approved Early Childhood Curriculum. This curriculum provides thematic-based units for infancy through Pre-Kindergarten. This Christian-based curriculum allows children to grow and develop as Jesus did in “wisdom and stature” and in “favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52). Each unit provides guidance and activities to develop language, pre-reading, and other foundational skills appropriate to his or her stage of development. Physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual development are also interrelated.

These programs are a wonderful time for children to explore with natural curiosity. Children begin their academic path; by learning how to learn and how to work with one another cooperatively. Our children blossom during these years—a high level of academics with very low pressure and individualized academic programs.

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Key concepts in this age group:

• Recognize letters and phonetic sounds

• Read simple words

• Write letters and numbers

• Develop social and interpersonal skills

• Concept of size

• One-to-one correspondence

• Math vocabulary

• Counting

• Sequencing

• Number recognition

• Patterns

• Initial addition and subtraction

• Sign language & Spanish introductory words

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Kindergarten

 

In Kindergarten, emergent reading skills continue to flourish with the use of complementary systems in order to meet the needs of each child. We work on sound blending, decoding skills, word families, phrase development and sight vocabulary. Reading skills are reinforced with delightful stories, activities, and games.

 

Our Language Arts curriculum is UFLI Foundations, an explicit and systematic program that teaches students the foundational skills necessary for proficient reading. It follows a carefully developed scope and sequence designed to ensure that students systematically acquire each skill needed and learn to apply each skill with automaticity and confidence. 

 

Our Math curriculum is Horizons Math. Horizons incorporates spiral learning where students learn a concept, then the concept is repeatedly revisited as new, related concepts or skills are introduced. The structured, spiral approach of Horizons benefits many learners, including gifted students who thrive on advanced content and review. 

 

Key concepts in this age group:

• Virginia Standards of Learning

• Identifying letters and phonetic sounds

• Read sight words

• Read & write simple sentences

• Write letters and numbers

• Develop social and interpersonal skills

• Concept of size

• One-to-one correspondence

• Math vocabulary

• Counting

• Sequencing

• Number recognition

• Patterns

• Initial addition and subtraction

• Sign language & Introductory World