Emmanuel Day School offers four different programs for preschool children. The 3’s and 4’s classes are specifically designed to be a gradual progression in learning. The 5’s class is for older fours and those who have just missed the kindergarten cut-off.  The afternoon Pre-K program is available to 4 and 5 year olds. 

The Emmanuel Day School curriculum has recently created learning targets. They are aligned with the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s position statement on what developmentally appropriate practice looks like for children ages 3 to 5. Each of the 49 learning targets is used to guide the EDS teachers in their lesson planning process.

3’s Program – Morning: 14 students/2 teachers. The focus in the 3’s class is primarily on social skills. Because this is often a child’s first introduction to formal education it is important to help youngsters build positive relationships with peers and teachers. The teachers in the 3’s class use the EDS learning targets to integrate academics with social skill building. 

4’s Program - 14 students/2 teachers. The teachers build on the foundational social skills learned in the 3’s class and give children time to express choice. Small group activities are intentionally designed for children to practice the skills needed in kindergarten, such as writing, problem solving, and math.

5’s Program – 14 students/2 teachers. Children focus on fine motor, social, and academic skills. Because of their age and refined social skills, the 5’s class is able to take a field trip nearly every month to integrate real-life experience with the classroom theme.

4/5 Afternoon Pre-K Program – 10 students/1 teacher. The afternoon Pre-K class is being offered to children who are at least 4 by August 31st and will follow the same curriculum as the morning 5’s program. This class is designed as a supplement to a morning preschool program at another school or an independent Pre-K program.