Church of the Good Shepherd
A United Methodist Church
 

Little Shepherd offers both a Preschool program for children who are three and four years old and a Pre-Kindergarten program for those four and five years old who will attend Kindergarten the following year. Within each program, children will experience large group meetings, small group exploratory centers, and individual teacher time. Our goal is to help students achieve the benchmarks set by the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards (a precursor to the Common Core Standards for school aged children). In addition, our teachers present their lessons based on the latest brain research of how children learn, fostering the most efficient learning.

 

Children will achieve to the level of expectations set before them. Students are challenged each day within their capabilities and learn through guided play at their developmentally appropriate levels. Fine and gross motor skill needs are addressed daily as these are directly related to school success.

 

Higher Education Standards:  

The adoption of the Common Core Standards beginning with the Kindergarten grade level has made a quality preschool education more important than ever. It is no longer appropriate for children to simply learn letters, numbers, colors, etc. in isolation. They must develop a deep understanding of concepts and demonstrate that understanding across all areas of the curriculum. At Little Shepherd Preschool, children are introduced to content areas through an integrated approach. This approach promotes real learning and understanding of concepts and ultimately leads to Kindergarten readiness.  The integration of technology with our interactive whiteboard, use of the Jolly Phonics program, our gross motor room, the thorough assessment done with each child three times per year, and our emphasis on fostering creativity and problem solving, all help children to be successful and begin a lifetime love of learning!