Early Childhood

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In the years before children attend kindergarten, they’re naturally curious and open to engaging with the world around them. This makes these years the perfect time to nurture a love for learning. At Denver Christian School, 3- and 4-year-olds build social, emotional, academic, physical, and spiritual foundations in our play-based early childhood programs. Children learn through active play and gain the skills needed for success in kindergarten and beyond.

How Children Develop in Our Play-Based Early Childhood Classes

Children benefit from our structured days that include a variety of learning and play activities. In each of our early childhood classes your child will:

  • Build Literacy, Pre-Reading, and Writing Skills
    • Storytime, songs, and free writing activities all help children build important literacy and writing skills. One tool we use is Zoo Phonics, which teaches letters and sounds through fun movements and animal themes.
  • Gain Math and Science Skills
    • In our HighScope program, students are fully engaged as they plan active learning activities, explore concepts and develop skills at various centers, and practice oral language skills with their teacher by reviewing what they learned.
  • Engage in Faith Formation
    • Prayer and discussion about God’s beautiful creation are woven in throughout the entire learning experience. Activities include making the Wordless Book as a way to share the Gospel and learning about cultures around the world through our unit, God So Loves the World.
  • Practice Healthy Social-Emotional Interactions
    • Teachers help children learn conflict resolution and restorative practices in order to build healthy relationships with peers and create an environment of respect for others.
  • Develop Through Physical Education
    • Daily time on the playground lets young children expend energy, practice gross motor skills, and learn to take turns. Once a week, each preschool class has a designated time with a physical education teacher for more organized activities.
  • Learn Listening, Counting, and Words With Music
    • Children regularly sing songs or listen to music in the classroom and attend music class with a music teacher once a week. Singing and playing rhythm instruments teaches children concepts around listening, counting, and putting words together.

Experienced and Caring Teachers

All of our early childhood teachers hold Early Childhood Education credentials. Our teachers are dedicated to getting to know every child and family and focus on frequent communication with parents to let them know how their child is progressing in school. Our small classrooms, with a student-to-teacher ratio of 12 to 2 in the 3’s Program and 18 to 2 in the 4’s and Jr K Programs, allow children to receive individual attention.

preschool

Our Programs

We offer a number of early childhood classes designed to help young students grow and flourish in their first classroom experiences. See below for general age guidelines; our early childhood staff will assist in determining the most appropriate class selection based on your student’s age, abilities, and developmental stage.

3 year old Preschool
Age 3 by August 1
3-4 year old Preschool
Older 3s and Young 4s
4 year old PreK
Age 4 by October 1
Junior Kindergarten
Young 5s
M/W 8:30-12:30Tu/Th/F 8:30-12:30M, T, W, Th, F 8:30-3:15 or
Tu/Th/Fr 8:30-3:15
M, T, W, Th, F 8:30-3:15 or
Tu/Th/Fr 8:30-3:15
Emphasis on oral language, social/emotional skills, self help skills.Emphasis on social/emotional skills; self help skills; introduces letters, numbers, phonics, pre-writing skills.Emphasis on social/emotional learning, cognitive skills, physical development.
Students with previous PreK experience. Must be able to demonstrate self-help, knowledge of some literacy and math.

Explore Early Childhood for Your Child

If you would like to learn more about how our early childhood program can nurture your child, contact our admissions team. Email Carrie Johnson, our Director of Admissions, at cjohnson@DenverChristian.org or call 303-763-7919. You can also learn more about admissions events or take a video tour of our building.