Our kindergarten program offers small class sizes that allow for our teachers to focus on students as individuals. It is a half-day program with hours of 9:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Redeemer kindergarten is an excellent alternative choice for parents who would like an extra year before sending their child to a full day school and/or large school environment. After leaving Redeemer Kindergarten and moving on to a larger school environment, parents often tell us they are happy with the choice they made to allow their child an extra year in a smaller, more personable environment to gain the critical skills of reading, writing, and math. These parents felt their children entered first grade with a high level of self-confidence in their abilities.
Our kindergarten program is structured so that students receive the amount of academic instruction needed to fully prepare them for first grade. Our curriculum is aligned with the Gwinnett County Public Schools Kindergarten AKS (Academic and Knowledge Skills). Because of our smaller environment, we do not lose a large amount of time during the school day transitioning students from one activity to another. This allows us to focus on and teach the most important kindergarten skills of beginning reading, writing, and math in the half day time period. We recognize that children learn at different rates and come to school with a wide array of experiences and backgrounds. A smaller class size with two teachers allows students to receive more individual attention in critical subject areas.
We welcome an opportunity to take you on a tour of our kindergarten classrooms and to meet the teacher to discuss in more detail the curriculum used in our program. We would also be happy to provide you with references from parents whose children have completed our kindergarten program and are now in elementary school. Please contact the school director, Terri Manuel, at 678-403-1400 or email her at terrimanuel@redeemerpc.com to arrange a tour and meeting.
Scroll below for more details on the subject areas covered in our Kindergarten program.
Reading & Language Arts
Learning to read is fun and exciting for the Kindergarten student. Our goal is to keep it developmentally appropriate as well as challenging for the child. Helping the child to feel successful and confident is very important. We are in agreement with research that shows strong reading skills are essential to future success in all academic areas. Reading is an integral part of our Language Arts and plays an important role in every area of our curriculum. We use a phonetic approach to teach decoding skills that lead into reading. We also work on developing a sight word vocabulary. Our reading curriculum emphasizes the on-going growth of the emergent reader. Since reading and writing develop together along with oral language, we integrate these skills throughout the curriculum with work in “journals”, listening centers, writing centers, and skill centers. We want the student to be an active participant in the learning process through the many activities that allow for talking, listening, reading, and writing. Reading skills are taught in small groups of 6-8 students in our “Reading Room” next to the main classroom to allow for minimal distractions and focused learning. The foundation of our reading program is the MacMillian-McGraw Hill kindergarten curriculum. Other resources and supplies are used to enrich the learning process. Forming uppercase and lowercase letters is taught in the D’Nealian handwriting style. For students who advance through the kindergarten reading curriculum before the end of the school, we also utilize the MacMillian-McGraw Hill first grade reading curriculum.
Mathematics
Math is a concrete learning experience in Kindergarten. Through creative manipulative materials, games, and puzzles, math concepts become realistic and meaningful to the students. By using developmentally appropriate activities and materials, we move the student from the concrete stage into the abstract through the year. We use “Everyday Mathematics” developed by the University of Chicago as the foundation for our math curriculum. Additional resources are used to enhance and enrich in the area of mathematics.
Additional Curriculum Areas
In addition to the main academic areas of Reading/Language Arts and Math, students are also exposed to concepts in Science, Social Studies, and Health. Topics from these curriculum areas are integrated into Reading/Language Arts and Math lessons. Kindergarten students participate in computer lab, weekly music/movement classes, chapel time, monthly science labs, library time, fieldtrips, and guest speakers. They have daily outside time on the playground.
Spiritual Growth
Redeemer is a Christian school. Daily instruction in each classroom is taught with a focus on non-denominational Christian values and learning about the relationship of God in daily living. Each preschool class is taught basic Bible stories from the Old and New Testaments in the Holy Bible, along with participating in Bible-based chapel times led by the school director, church pastor, and director of children’s ministry. Our program recognizes and celebrates the birth of Jesus at Christmas and His resurrection at Easter.
Our Teachers
The Kindergarten class has a lead teacher and an assistant teacher. Our lead teacher holds a college degree in elementary education and has valuable, hands-on experience in the classroom. All of our teachers are committed to annual continuing education to enrich and enhance their classroom teaching skills.
Additional Information
- Kindergarten classes begin in mid-August and end around the third week of May. The Gwinnett County Public School calendar is followed in between these dates for school holidays.
- Lunchtime is part of the daily schedule in each class. Children bring a packed lunch from home.
- The maximum number of students in the Kindergarten class is 16.
- We welcome parent participation at Redeemer and encourage our parents to be an active part of this special time in their children’s lives.
- Report cards and periodic parent conferences keep you abreast of your child’s performance and progress.
- Redeemer Kindergarten welcomes students whose learning styles and personalities would benefit from a smaller classroom environment. However, please note that we are not equipped to work with students who have severe learning, emotional, or behavior difficulties.