Our Curriculum
The curriculum used at FBCM Preschool is the highly acclaimed Christian based educational tool, Abeka as well as ABC Jesus Loves Me. Abeka is a comprehensively designed curriculum created to achieve academic excellence and moral character using professionally illustrated textbooks and teaching aids, hands-on activities, challenging exercises, purposeful repetition, and the reinforcement of concepts. Abeka provides outstanding tools based on a traditional educational philosophy for both success in education and character development helping to equip each child for life.
Abeka emphasizes phonics as the foundational means to forming the building blocks necessary for early and successful reading. Writing and early emerging math skills are also taught to the fours in this outstanding curriculum. Teachers are given creative license to enhance the curriculum according to their gifts and talents.
ABC Jesus Loves Me provides five comprehensive research based curricula for ages 1-5 that focuses on academics, development and Bible learning through play! Children are able to be hands on to enhance their learning and start using building blocks to help build upon.
Our academic learning model includes, but is not limited to, the following, as deemed age-appropriate: Bible stories and verses, prayer, writing, name recognition, using scissors, letters and sounds, numbers, shapes, colors, calendar and weather, arts & crafts, music & movement, show & tell, manipulatives and puzzles, learning centers (Blocks/Cars, Home living, Reading, Science, Free Art), and gardening.
FBCM values a balance between classroom time and exploration time. During class time, children engage in more focused and teacher-led activities with their peers. These activities emphasize the development of language and cognition skills. When children work in small groups, they develop confidence through cooperating and negotiating with others to achieve accomplishments.
Exploration time happens inside where children explore different learning centers set up and planned for by the teachers. This time allows children to discover the environment and independently choose their own learning experiences while simultaneously developing responsibility. Teachers work together to build on the children's discoveries and interests to plan relevant classroom lessons and hands-on activities. FBCM Kids have opportunity to visit the following learning centers: math, literacy, writing, construction in blocks and cars, cutting and sticking, science, role-play in Home Living, open-ended and teacher directed art, play dough and sensory. Teachers are always observing and engaging children in their play to further build and develop their early academic skills. Fine motor skills are developed during Exploration time.
Circle time focuses on a specific area of learning each day, such as math, literacy, and Bible teaching.
In outdoor play, children are exposed to a variety of activities such as water/sensory play, sandbox, role-play, and other outdoor games. They also develop their gross motor skills by, climbing, sliding, balancing, hopping, running, and jumping. Children are encouraged to make their own choices. Teachers act as guides to extend their learning experiences.
In Science, children explore all different areas of the world such as organic and non-organic material, energy, weather, health, magnets, machines, bugs and insects, birds, metamorphosis of caterpillars to butterflies, nature, forest, and farm animals, hot and cold, senses, floating and sinking, the human body, space, dinosaurs, and so much more.
Ultimately, the curriculum at FBCM encourages children to form deep and meaningful relationships with their teachers and peers and gain an appreciation for the diversity of individuals in the community. When children have built this strong social intelligence, they are then able to develop the academic skills necessary to soar in their academic journey.
