Early Learning Program
(Age 3 before September 1)
Our Early Learning Program is designed to foster wonder, exploration, and discovery while also integrating more structured learning time focused on developing the habits necessary for school readiness and life. Play is a child’s work and is where our youngest learners act out and mimic what they are observing and taking in from the larger world, and is a central component to our program. Our model is influenced by Charlotte Mason’s approach to classical education, emphasizing a love of learning and engaging both mind and heart.
Our youngest learners are explorers: they examine, investigate, probe, discover, inquire, mimic and create. Their environment is critical to their learning, and we strive to build a harmonious and beautiful classroom environment in which children can thrive. Students learn the building blocks of both math and literacy as they explore patterns, numbers and shapes in the area of mathematics and learn the pre-reading skills and initial letter sound correspondence in the area of literacy. Story, rhymes, Bible stories and songs are thread throughout the day. Additionally, students spend time outdoors engaging in nature studies and enjoying the created world.
We emphasize the importance of building habits within our academic setting in order to equip students both for their studies and for their lives. Students work on embodying different habits, including the “habit of attention” by providing them with the opportunity to listen attentively without interrupting. We instruct students on the “habit of orderliness” by teaching how to practice self-control, how to take turns, and how to take care of their belongings. We train our students in “the habit of courtesy” by teaching classroom manners, eye contact, taking-turns and modeling how to work with others.
Some Habits Emphasized:
| Truthfulness | Persistence |
| Attention | Kindness |
| Thankfulness | Manners |
| Patience | Helpfulness |
| Humility | Prayer |
A Day in the Life of an SGCA Early Learner
8:00am-12:30pm
Following the daily morning assembly, Early Learners engage in varied activities, including play, sorting, identifying patterns, song, recitation of nursery rhymes, development of phonemic awareness, discovering through the study of nature, composers and pictures and reading living books.
Each day includes a progression of short lessons, whether reading Aesop’s fables, working on a puzzle, imitating a great artistic work, singing the hymn of the month, sharing a favorite musical instrument for show and tell or enjoying being in nature. We seamlessly weave into our curriculum Church feast days, the seasons of the liturgical year, and an emphasis on family and church tradition. Children have the opportunity for physical movement throughout the day, as we know that developing core strength, fine and gross motor skills, and having physical outlets is important for our youngest learners. Children learn from joyful, nurturing and skilled teachers in a small setting of no more than twelve students.
Our Early Learners have many opportunities to express themselves, to practice listening and attention, and to enjoy being part of a classroom community of joyful learners grounded in the Christian faith.
