Preschool for 3-4 Year Olds
Program Schedule:
September 5, 2023 - June 5, 2024
3-Year-Old Program: 8:10-11:30 am (Monday - Thursday)
Tuition: $150 per month, September through May
Students must turn three by August 31, 2024
Tuition is waived for students who receive special education services.
Contact the Virginia Grainger Elementary office for an application packet.
The Okanogan School District Preschool is is an inclusive, community preschool where we offer preschoolers of all ability levels the opportunity to learn together and from one another. Students must be three years old by August 31st of the current school year and reside within the Okanogan School District.
Students identified with a disability, and qualifying for special education services, are enrolled into the preschool through the school district. They receive specially designed instruction in the general education class and have access to the same content as their peers without special needs.
Our community students, who are considered “peers,” are enrolled through the school district and pay a monthly tuition.
Transition to Kindergarten for 4-5 Year Olds
Program Schedule:
September 5, 2023 - June 5, 2024
Transition-to-Kindergarten Program: 8:10 - 2:50pm (Monday - Friday)
No Tuition
Students must turn four by August 31, 2024
Contact the Virginia Grainger Elementary office for an application packet.
Transition to Kindergarten…
• Is a state-funded, free Monday through Friday full-day preschool program
• Serves children and families who demonstrate a need through the Transition to Kindergarten pre-K application and screening process
• Serves 4- to 5-year-old students, who turn 4 years old on or before August 31, 2024, and who live within the boundaries of Okanogan School District
• Space in the program is limited, and participants are identified through a screening process to be in need of additional preparation to be successful in kindergarten the following school year.
• Priority will be given to children with the lowest family income, not otherwise participating in another local program.
Why an inclusive program?
Research shows that all children, whether they have a disability or not, benefit from an inclusive environment.
All students in Okanogan School District's Early Learning Programs have the unique opportunity to gain an appreciation for and an awareness of people who are different from themselves. This fosters compassion, empathy, and kindness - all qualities that extend beyond the classroom and beyond preschool. Students learn to develop friendships while learning the academic skills they need in order to successfully enter kindergarten.
Okanogan School District Early Learning and The Pyramid Model
The Pyramid Model is an evidence-based, developmentally appropriate approach that focuses on social-emotional development and well-being. The foundation of the Pyramid Model is nurturing and supportive relationships. Research shows that students’ social-emotional skills are a the #1 indicator of future learning success. This research is what drives the preschool program at Okanogan School District.
Our priority is to teach, practice, and develop social-emotional skills and communication while simultaneously embedding academics. All teachers receive extensive training in Pyramid Model practices. Your child will learn friendship skills, problem solving strategies and increase their emotional literacy through play-based learning, songs, and developmentally-appropriate, hands-on activities.
For more information about The Pyramid Model, please click Pyramid Model Overview
Will my child have a quality preschool experience?
YES! At Okanogan School District's Early Learning Programs, in addition to social emotional skill development, teachers provide lessons in pre-literacy, math, science, writing, art and music. Instruction is balanced between individual, small group, and large group instruction and everything is taught with the approach of nurturing and supportive relationships.
Each teacher in Okanogan's Preschool & Transition to Kindergarten program is trained to adapt lessons and activities for students who are ahead in their learning and those who need extra help. Our teachers understand that students have different backgrounds, experiences and abilities. They celebrate diversity and leverage evidence-based practices in order to support all students.
Kindergarten Readiness Skills
Parents often wonder what a typical child should know by the time he or she starts kindergarten. There are readiness skills called Kindergarten Targets. Children who are taught these skills before they start kindergarten are better prepared to succeed in school.
Language and Literacy
• Speaks in complete sentences
• Says the sounds of 12-15 letters, including those in the child’s first name
• Prints first name using uppercase and lowercase letters
• Identifies the beginning sounds of words
• Sings or chants ABC and number songs while pointing to letters and numbers
Math
• Counts in order from 1 to 20
• Matches number shapes from 1 to 12
• Knows 12 colors: red, blue, yellow, green, orange, purple, brown, black, white, grey, pink, and light blue
• Names and sorts objects by color, shape, and size
• Understands concepts such as greater than, less than, and equal to
Social and Emotional
• Settles into new groups or situations with minimal stress and plays cooperatively with two or more peers
• Concentrates on a task for at least five minutes
• Follows simple directions
• Shows kindness and concern for others
Reading aloud 20 minutes a day helps a child master these skills.