By the time children join us, we hope they’re already comfortable identifying basic shapes and colors. Ideally, they’ll recognize most of their letters by the time we do our quarterly evaluations (yes, we have to do evaluations for 3-year-olds), although this is never a requirement for acceptance. The one thing we do require is that all students be fully potty‑trained and no longer using pull‑ups or diapers during the day.
I’m always happy to answer questions and help families understand what to expect as their little ones join our class!
Week #1 - Color Review & #0
Book Club: The Crayon Series
Bible Verses: Genesis 1:1
Bible Stories: Creation
Week #2 - Shapes Review & #1
Book Club: Mat Man, The Dot
Bible Verses: Genesis 1:1
Bible Stories: Creation & Adam/Eve
Week #3 - Aa with Alexander Alligator
Book Club: Pete the Cat Week
Bible Verses: Genesis 1:1 and John 1:3
Bible Stories: Noah Obeys & Abraham/Lot
Week #4 - Bb with Betsy Bee & #2
Book Club: Pigeon Books, Biscuit
Bible Verses: Genesis 1:1 & John 1:3
Bible Stories: Isaac the Promised Son, A Bride for Isaac
Week #5 - Review Aa, Bb, & #0-2
Book Club: Alphabet, Berenstain Bears
Bible Stories: Joseph & Baby Moses
Week #6 - Cc with Connie Cow & #3
Book Club: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Click Clack
Week #7 - Dd with Dexter Donkey
Book Club: The Wonky Donkey, No David, Dot Day
Bible Stories: David the Shepherd & David/Goliath
Week #8 - Review Cc, Dd, & #0-3
Book Club: Curious George, Clifford, Dinosaurs
Bible Stories: King David is Kind & Elisha Helps a Widow Lady
Week #9 - Ee with Ellie Elephant & #4
Book Club: Eric Carle, Elephant & Piggie
Bible Stories: Elisha Raises the Shunammite's Son & Naaman and the Servant Girl, Part 1
Week #10 - Ff with Freddie Fish
Book Club: Froggy, Fall, Frog & Toad
Bibles Stories: Naaman and the Servant Girl, Part 2 & Lions Cannot Hurt Daniel, Part 1
Week #11 - Review Ee, Ff, & #0-4
Book Club: Halloween/Fall
Bible Verses: Psalm 106:1 & Psalm 18:30
Bible Stories: Lions Cannot Hurt Daniel, Part 2
Week #12 - Gg with Gomer Goat & #5
Bible Stories: The First Thanksgiving, Part 1 & 2
Week #13 - Hh with Homer Horse
Book Club: Fall
Bible Verses: John 3:16
Bible Stories: Queen Esther, Part 1 & 2
Week #14 - Review Week Gg, Hh, & #0-5
Book Club: Thanksgiving
Bible Stories: Jonah, Part 1 & 2
Week #15 - Ii with Inchy Inchworm & #6
Book Club: "If You Give A...", Winter
Bible Stories: Jesus is Born, Part 1 & 2
Week #16 - Jj with Jenny Jaguar
Book Club: Christmas
Bible Verses: James 1:17 & Genesis 26:24
Bible Stories: Kings Worship Jesus & Jesus' Boyhood
Week #17 - Review Ii, Jj, & #0-6
Book Club: Winter/New Year
Bible Stories: Follow Me & Beside the Pool
Week #18 - Kk with Kathy Kangaroo & #7
Bible Verses: Psalm 106:1 & 1 John 3:23
Bible Stories: The Woman at the Well & The Nobleman's Son
Week #19 - Ll with Larry Lion
Book Club: Llama, Llama
Bible Verses: Matthew 28:20 & James 1:17
Bible Stories: Fishing with Jesus & Heaven
Week #20 - Review Kk, Ll, & #0-7
Bible Verses: Genesis 1:1 & Matthew 28:30
Bibles Stories: Jesus Stills the Storm & Jesus Raises Jairus' Daughter
Week #21 - Mm with Mickey Monkey & #8
Book Club: Mickey Mouse, Mixed Up Alphabet
Bible Verses: Psalm 56:3 & John 1:3
Bible Stories: Feeding the Five Thousand
Peter Walks on the Water
Week #22 - Nn with Nicky Narwal
Book Club: Valentine's
Bible Verses: Psalm 18:30 & Psalm 56:3
Bible Stories: Tax from a Fish's Mouth & Peter is Freed
Week #23 - Review Mm, Nn, & #0-8
Book Club: Monsters
Bible Stories: Jesus Heals Ten Lepers & Rich Young Ruler
Week #24 - Oo with Oscar Otter & #9
Book Club: Dr. Seuss, Old Lady That...
Bible Stories: Jesus Loves the Children & The Lost Lamb
Week #25 - Pp with Penny Penguin & #10
Book Club: Pout Pout Fish, Pig the Pug, Pinkalicious
Bible Verses: 1 John 4:19 & Genesis 16:13
Bible Stories: The Good Samaritan & The Younger Brother, The Prodigal Son
Week #26 - Review Oo, Pp, & #11
Book Club: St. Patrick's Day/Women’s History (Esther, Ruth, Deborah)
Bible Verses: John 3:16 & 1 John 4:19
Bible Stories: Jesus Heals the Paralyzed Man & Blind Bartimaeus
Week #27 - Qq with Quinton Quail & #12
Book Club: Spring
Bible Verses: John 14:6 & Matthew 28:20
Bible Stories: Zacchaeus & Friends at Bethany
Week #28 - Rr with Rusty Rooster & #13
Bible Verses: Genesis 16:13 & John 14:6
Bible Stories: Resurrection Week, Part 1, 2, & 3
Week #29 - Ss with Seabreeze Seal & #14
Book Club: Silly Sally, Stellaluna
Bible Verses: Proverbs 20:11 & Psalm 56:3
Bible Stories: Review Resurrection Week, Jesus is Born, Kings Worship Jesus, Jesus' Boyhood, & Follow Me
Week #30 - Tt with Timmy Tiger & #15
Book Club: Dragons Love Tacos
Bible Stories: Review Beside the Pool, The Woman at the Well, The Nobleman's Son, Fishing with Jesus, & Heaven
Week #31 - Uu with Uppity Umbrella Bird & #16
Bible Stories: Review Jesus Stills the Storm, Jesus Raises Jairus' Daughter, Feeding the Five Thousand, Peter Walks on Water, Tax from a Fish's Mouth
Week #32 - Vv with Vicky Vulture & #17
Book Club: Summer
Bible Verses: 1 John 4:19 & Ephesians 4:32
Bible Stories: Review Peter is Freed, Jesus Heals Ten Lepers, Rich Young Ruler, Jesus Loves the Children, & The Lost Lamb
Week #33 - Ww with Wackford Walrus & Xx with Roxie Foxie & #18
Book Club: miXed books
Bible Stories: The Good Samaritan, The Younger Brother/The Prodigal Son, Jesus Heals the Paralyzed Man, Blind Bartimaeus, & Zacchaeus
Week #34 - Yy with Yackety Yak & Zz with Zebra Zed, #19, & #20
Book Club: End of Year/Mother's Day
Bible Stories: Review Friends at Bethany, Resurrection Week Part 1-3, & Heaven
Week #35 - Last Week of School! End of Year Celebration and Ceremonies!
Our school operates on a year‑round calendar, and this year we started with a three‑day first week, which wasn’t ideal but worked out, nonetheless. You can easily adapt this approach into a 40‑week school year if needed.
After Easter, our Bible story focus shifts to review, revisiting the stories we’ve explored from Creation through Jesus’ Resurrection. This gives the children a chance to deepen their understanding and make connections between lessons.
Throughout the year, we also incorporate a lot of hands‑on crafts. We create a handprint book that ties into holidays and book‑themed weeks, and we participate in an “Around the World” yearlong project. You can certainly scale down the crafts if needed, but I’ve found that as the year progresses, the children become more adept and efficient, making the crafts quicker and more manageable. This is one reason why we discontinue review weeks later in the year, by that point, students can recognize letters, sounds, and words more easily and quickly.
This upcoming school year, our calendar is changing slightly, and we’ll be combining certain letters (S/T, U/V, W/X, and Y/Z) into single units. In the beginning of the year, I also find it helpful to work with the children in smaller groups. This allows for more personalized attention as they build confidence and foundational skills.
Written by Diana Chastain from Nanny to Mommy
No comments
Thank you for dropping by! I would love to hear what you thought. :)
Thanks!
♥,
Diana