About
Our Approach
We offer a Christian education, academic & social development and family engagement opportunities.
Our Philosophy
Our goal here at Green Valley Lutheran Preschool & Kindergarten is the development of the whole child. We work to nurture, not only their social, emotional, physical, and academic growth, but their spiritual growth as well.
We believe that children are a trust from God. To keep and protect that trust we first provide them with an increasing knowledge of their Savior in a safe, loving and warm environment. We then work to structure their social and academic environment in a way that will enhance their sense of self worth and independence, as well as, stimulate exploration and excite learning.
We believe that children have individual needs and varying abilities that are not based solely on age. Therefore our program works to meet each child at his or her own level and build upon their strengths to help them achieve at their own pace. This will be achieved through a curriculum, which includes a balanced schedule consisting of individual, small and whole group settings.
Our Curriculum
Our 'whole child' approach ensures that every student has a successful and meaningful educational experience. Whenever possible, children are learning in authentic and hands on ways. Teachers carefully and thoughtfully prepare so that instruction is rigorous, engaging and differentiated to meet the needs of ALL children.
The Literacy Program
3 and 4 year olds focus on strengthening Phonemic Awareness and Phonics skills through a variety of learning modalities. The children especially love learning letter sounds and letter recognition through the action based Zoo Phonics program!
Kindergarten - 3rd grade students build upon early literacy skills to become independent readers with strong fluency and comprehension skills. Teachers utilize small reading groups to meet students at their level and then challenge them to go above and beyond.
The Math Program
3 and 4 year olds are taught using the Concrete-Representation-Abstract (CRA) Approach to math instruction. In this approach, children: 1. begin learning math concepts through hands on (concrete) activities and teacher modeling 2. move to the representational understanding of math through pictures, drawings, tallies and five/ten frames 3. continue to the abstract stage of math development which introduces them to the symbolic representations of numbers and function.
Kindergarten - 3rd grade students are taught using the Singapore Math curriculum which also adheres to the CRA Approach to math instruction. It is a highly engaging and rigorous program that teaches children to think mathematically. It is one of the best math curriculums in the United States.
Other Subject Areas
All classrooms at GVLS incorporate science, social studies, writing, motor development and social/emotional learning into their daily schedules. Our 3 and 4 year old classes are thematic based. Thematic units last about 2-3 weeks so children are learning a variety of topics throughout the school year. Our Kindergarten - 3rd grade are cross-curricular which allows teachers to teach multiple skills/subjects at the same time. This style of instruction encourages connection making and problem solving while also increasing rigor and student engagement.
Our preschool, kindergarten and first grade classes are also licensed with the State of Nevada and governed by a board of directors.
