Our Pre-K classrooms use either Teaching Strategies® The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool System or Scholastic Big Day for PreK™. These curricula meet both the Hawai‘i Preschool Content Standards and the Hawai‘i Early Learning and Development Standards, and they prepare children for school readiness in Pre-K classes and beyond.

Research says preschool children learn best through 4-to-8 week-long project-based investigations, or studies, which enable children to use scientific inquiry skills to actively explore topics that interest them and are relevant to their lives. Starting with Beginning the Year/The First Six Weeks or Ready for School!, these are the topics your child will investigate depending on the teacher’s choice of curricula:

• The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool System Pre-K Classroom Studies:  Insects; Sand; Simple Machines; Tubes and Tunnels; Signs; & Getting Ready for Kindergarten
• Scholastic Big Day for PreK™ 8 thematic units for classrooms with Pre-K children: Ready for School!; My Family; Our Community; Awesome Animals; Imagine It, Make It; Growing Up Healthy; Nature All Around Us; and Moving On.

These curricula combine both intentional teacher-directed and child-initiated learning through play. The studies provide clear direction for the teachers to address content in language and literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts, and technology, yet never lose sight of the primary importance of social-emotional development in children’s learning.

“Countdown to Kindergarten”

Each year, KCAA Pre-K classes also participate in “Countdown to Kindergarten”. This special program generally begins after Spring Break and is designed to help kindergarten-bound children and families prepare for a successful transition from preschool to Elementary School. Changes include a focus on academic, physical, and behavior/social-emotional kindergarten readiness skills, arriving no later than 9:00 a.m., a shortened naptime, optional homework, and other practices to support your child’s transition to Elementary School.