Lighthouse Christian Academy is geared to the growth and success of every child as an individual. That means teaching the whole child. Making sure each child has their age appropriate needs met so they reach each developmental mile stone, that results in a successful school career.
Children learn by play and imitation. We use the classroom environment to provide proper play, and opportunities to explore new things. The child learns to enjoy learning. Children need to explore the ABC’s, phonics, counting, colors, and shapes to build fine motor, gross motor and social skills.
Children need to know how to feel good about who they are and that learning can be fun. Developing a love for learning and knowledge is an important life-long tool for every child. When your child completes the LCA Pre-K Program, They will have the confidence to shine as the superstar each one of them are. Lighthouse Christian Academy’s Pre-Kindergarten Program sets a solid foundation in education that will last a lifetime.
Each age group, Toddler to Preschool, will be taught a curriculum that is “Age Appropriate”. That means everything taught will be designed for each child’s age level. It is based on Creative Curriculum that focuses on social emotional, language, problem solving and physical. We enhance our program by including a Bible Curriculum, Character Pillars, American Sign Language, Ocean Discovery and Fitness (nutrition and exercise).
Twos – (24 months to 36 months)
By the age of two (24 months) children strive to communicate, socialize, and discover. They begin to learn to share, care and organize play. Your child’s learning environment will be enhanced by love and patience as well as choices. Crayons, paint, paper, blocks, dramatic play, puzzles and books all begin to have meaning. Manipulative development of fine motor skills promotes concentration and success. Simple games and specifically designed outdoor play equipment will development gross motor skills. They will be encouraged to explore and be social (sharing, awareness, and courtesy to others etc).
Potty training is part of the curriculum for a two year old. Children will move from wearing diapers to pull ups and graduate to underwear when they use the language, diapers are dry throughout the day and parent feels they are ready. Children will then transition from diapers to “pull up” or underwear.
The curriculum for the preschooler is a combination of activities, language, discovery (science), dramatic play, creative expression (art), and self-sufficiency e.g. (buttons, zippers, shoe-laces, washing their own hands & face, bathroom techniques & table manners). Their learning environment is enriched with Learning Centers that enhance social skills, promote language, math, science & creative expression. Puzzles, manipulative & scissors promote fine motor skills. Outside play, games & dancing promote gross motor skills. The classroom walls are covered with child-initiated art, words and numbers in print, photographs & pictures to present a Print-Rich Environment. The children have a Library Center with books, magazines & other reading materials to foster literacy. The children are taught the alphabet, colors, numbers & problem solving. They are encouraged to create their own play. Activities are presented to them to teach math, science, music and the enjoyment of learning.
* Every child at Lighthouse Christian Academy participates in a Chapel Time every morning. Godly principles are applied daily to the learning environment through prayer, scripture, songs, music & Bible stories. The curriculum is written to teach the whole child with love, respect and patience.
Several different activities that will include Letters, Numbers, Colors and Shapes.
Encourages literacy in a designated area with the ocean theme. This gives the children an opportunity to create a love of reading and the proper Library etiquette. Each Class enjoys and learns in the Ocean Library daily during the class designated circle/story time.
Creative expression, which will vary with crayons, markers, paint, glue and other miscellaneous art supplies. Projects will be geared towards LCA Pre- K Study Topics, Monthly themes and the current holiday.
Science, Technology Engineering, and Math activities. These will include physical, earth/space or Life Science, Sensory, Computer, Gears, wheels, ramps. In addition to written and hands-on math activities including numbers, shapes, colors and measurements.
Activities to encourage the enjoyment of music including instruments, stories, games, singing and dancing to a variety of songs.
Highlights specific sea creatures each month that we find in our Key West community. Living on an island creates an amazing learning environment to enhance the children’s understanding and an appreciation of the beauty and wonder of our community and life science. We also partner with several Community organizations that educate and promote conservation. Check out our Ocean Creature of the Month.
This month our ocean adventures take us to discover:
Lobsters
An active part of our curriculum encourages children that the my-plate (usda) foods and exercise will result in a happy, healthy and strong life. Incorporating the resources from Organwise in the daily curriculum, brings information in an age appropriate and fun way. Creating healthy habits for a lifetime.
The teachers of LCA have fully integrated sign language into our curriculum. There have been many studies done by many research groups that link sign language used by hearing children to:
American Sign Language is often counted as a qualification of being bi-lingual so these skills may play a part in your child’s life for many years to come!
Sign language skills are one more tool we use to stimulate your child’s development so they will be ready for Kindergarten.
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“High-quality preschools recognize the importance of providing an environment that teaches and nurtures young children (birth to 5) to learn these milestones and meet standards of learning.”
— The D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education
Some of our Lighthouse Kids practicing reading.
“The research tells us that 90 percent of brain development occurs in the first five years of a child’s life. It is this brain development that impacts the way children approach learning. Without positive interactions and a high-quality learning environment, children (birth to 5 yrs) can be disastrously behind even before they enter formal school.”
— David Lawrence Jr., chair of The Children’s Movement of Florida
“The wisest possible path to genuine public education ‘reform’ is this: Invest early to give children the best possible start in school and in life.”
— Jerry Scarborough, Superintendent of Schools of Suwannee County, Florida
“Being able to read and ready to learn at an early age is a fundamental tool in creating a prosperous and economically vibrant society, and these skills are more important in the state of Florida now than ever before,”
— Dominic Calabro, president and CEO of Florida TaxWatch
“Ensuring that children (birth to 5 yrs) have positive experiences prior to entering school is likely to lead to better outcomes than remediation programs at a later age, and significant up-front costs can generate a strong return on investment.”
— Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
“The surest, most effective way to provide children with the opportunity to reach their full potential is to create a pathway to success through early childhood education. (birth to 5yrs)”
— James E. Rohr Pittsburg Post-Gazette, Jul 25, 2013
“85 % of who you are – your intellect, your personality, your social skills – is developed by age 5. Let’s invest where it makes the most difference.”
— Massachusetts Early Education for All
“The best way to improve the American workforce in the 21st century is to invest in early childhood education, “
“Early education is most certainly the next wave of educational reform…”
“We also equip our citizens with the skills and training to fill those jobs. And that has to start at the earliest possible age. Study after study shows that the sooner a child begins learning, the better he or she does down the road. “
— President Barack Obama State of the Union 2013 speech
“Effective preschool raises achievement levels for all children, and it offers real hope for closing the school-readiness gap.”
— Jack O’Connell (CA State Superintendent of Education)
“Lack of awareness for the development period of 0 to 5 years old orphans a critical stage of childhood development. Education policy often focuses exclusively on K-12, higher education, and skills training. While success in these endeavors is necessary for an educated, functional, and socially advanced population, investments in education are made more effective when pre-school aged children (birth to 5 yrs) are surrounded by a supportive and learning environment before they even get to kindergarten.”
— By Michael Seo, The Huffington Post, June 19, 2013
“We’d better smarten up, stop obsessing over high school students, and pay attention to where we get the biggest bang for the buck — on the front end, with infants to five-year-olds.”
— Sean Gonsalves, Cape Cod Times column “We’d Better Smarten Up,”
“This is an important issue because we know learning begins at birth,”
— Margaret Combs, senior early childhood education specialist