The Primary program is a unique preschool experience; it is a complete program through the kindergarten year. The classroom is set up in areas that include practical life, sensorial, art, reading and language development, social studies & science, Bible, and math. Children construct knowledge by interacting with this prepared environment. It is designed to engage the natural curiosity of students and to meet the needs of each learner. Children can work at their own pace, while also keeping their social and emotional needs in mind. An excellent teacher to student ratio (1:6) allows time for children to have small group and one on one instruction.
Families may choose to enroll their preschool aged child (typically 4 year olds by December 31st) one, two, or three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) from 9:00 – 11:30.
Our kindergarten program is Monday – Friday 8:30 – 11:30. Kindergarten students who reside in Grove City, Mercer, Hermitage, Wilmington, Reynolds, West Middlesex and Lakeview school districts can ride a bus to and from CLCS each day for free.
Practical Life: Practical life is the most important part of the primary classroom. Children learn to work repeatedly through and master various tasks. The child is provided with special materials scaled to their size in which he or she can enjoy such tasks such as dusting, polishing, washing, tying and buttoning. Each aspect of the practical life area is deemed purposeful work and each has a specific skill that is mastered. A child will learn to communicate and be able to care for both themselves and their surroundings.
Sensorial: A child is naturally inclined to the task of classifying those materials that surround him/her. The sensorial materials are designed to aid the process of classifying the environment thus enabling the child to arrive at a conscious level of discrimination rather than a vague one. These materials are designed to develop the senses of hearing, vision, touch, taste, smell and to discriminate between them.
Mathematics: Children have a natural love of math. Our curriculum helps develop that love for math and teaches advanced concepts starting in the primary classroom and this continues into elementary.At CLCS, Math is not a series of worksheets but consists of concrete materials the children can touch and manipulate through exploration.
Language: While we understand the state standards and seek to far surpass them, we do so with a different emphasis. Rather than "teaching towards a test", we work to instill a lifelong love for reading and a passion for literature. A child begins reading when he or she is ready and proceeds at their own pace. Sandpaper letters provide a phonetic basis for reading. The child hears the sound, sees the shape, and prepares their muscles for writing by the light tracing of the letter with the fingertips. Many other exercises for both reading and writing are found in the environment.
Science & Social Studies: In order to stimulate their minds and curiosity as well as to prove the basic concepts of various disciplines in science, the students are given the opportunity to conduct experiments and utilize many hands on materials. Included are the studies of: living things and how they are affected by the environment, plant and animal life, the human body, health education, health practices, and nutrition. The social studies curriculum includes geography and history. In geography students learn about land and water forms, globes, maps, flags and multicultural awareness. In history they will learn time, calendar, seasons and personal family history.
Art, Music, and Physical Education: Each day students can choose to participate in art and music activities designed to allow students to experience different mediums, textures, design principals, rhythms etc. while they are having fun.
Families may choose to enroll their preschool aged child (typically 4 year olds by December 31st) one, two, or three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) from 9:00 – 11:30.
Our kindergarten program is Monday – Friday 8:30 – 11:30. Kindergarten students who reside in Grove City, Mercer, Hermitage, Wilmington, Reynolds, West Middlesex and Lakeview school districts can ride a bus to and from CLCS each day for free.
Practical Life: Practical life is the most important part of the primary classroom. Children learn to work repeatedly through and master various tasks. The child is provided with special materials scaled to their size in which he or she can enjoy such tasks such as dusting, polishing, washing, tying and buttoning. Each aspect of the practical life area is deemed purposeful work and each has a specific skill that is mastered. A child will learn to communicate and be able to care for both themselves and their surroundings.
Sensorial: A child is naturally inclined to the task of classifying those materials that surround him/her. The sensorial materials are designed to aid the process of classifying the environment thus enabling the child to arrive at a conscious level of discrimination rather than a vague one. These materials are designed to develop the senses of hearing, vision, touch, taste, smell and to discriminate between them.
Mathematics: Children have a natural love of math. Our curriculum helps develop that love for math and teaches advanced concepts starting in the primary classroom and this continues into elementary.At CLCS, Math is not a series of worksheets but consists of concrete materials the children can touch and manipulate through exploration.
Language: While we understand the state standards and seek to far surpass them, we do so with a different emphasis. Rather than "teaching towards a test", we work to instill a lifelong love for reading and a passion for literature. A child begins reading when he or she is ready and proceeds at their own pace. Sandpaper letters provide a phonetic basis for reading. The child hears the sound, sees the shape, and prepares their muscles for writing by the light tracing of the letter with the fingertips. Many other exercises for both reading and writing are found in the environment.
Science & Social Studies: In order to stimulate their minds and curiosity as well as to prove the basic concepts of various disciplines in science, the students are given the opportunity to conduct experiments and utilize many hands on materials. Included are the studies of: living things and how they are affected by the environment, plant and animal life, the human body, health education, health practices, and nutrition. The social studies curriculum includes geography and history. In geography students learn about land and water forms, globes, maps, flags and multicultural awareness. In history they will learn time, calendar, seasons and personal family history.
Art, Music, and Physical Education: Each day students can choose to participate in art and music activities designed to allow students to experience different mediums, textures, design principals, rhythms etc. while they are having fun.