Preschool at NNPS
Preschool Instruction
NNPS Preschool is designed to help young learners gain an understanding of their world through joyful, developmentally appropriate experiences. Literacy instruction follows a continuum that builds on the child's needs to communicate through meaningful and authentic activities in oral language, reading, and writing. Mathematical concepts develop through questions, problem solving, persistence, and communication. Units of study based on science and social studies concepts provide opportunities for students to understand themselves, friends, families, communities, and the larger world in which they live through inquiry, play, and daily experiences with art, music, and physical activity.
Click the icons below to learn more about our curriculum, instruction, assessments, and intervention.
Curriculum
NNPS Preschool utilizes The Creative Curriculum to teach concepts through hands-on, project-based investigations. The curriculum promotes discovery and inquiry with opportunities for children to think critically and develop process skills by nurturing mathematical skill development, promoting language and literacy skills, and building the social emotional foundation children need.
The preschool curriculum storyboard provides all stakeholders (teachers, families, and community members) an overview of the preschool curriculum and tells an engaging story of our students' learning units.
Instruction
NNPS Preschool is part of the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) grant following direction from the Virginia Department of Education's Office of Early Childhood Education. With the goal of ensuring all Virginia children have equitable opportunity to enter kindergarten ready to thrive, preschool instruction aligns with the Early Learning and Development Standards.
A Preschool Day
The NNPS Preschool program follows the Newport News Public Schools calendar for holidays, school closures and inclement weather.
All NNPS Preschool classrooms include time for:
- indoor and outdoor play
- hands-on learning experiences
- circle time
- small group instruction (math, literacy, social-emotional development)
- breakfast and lunch
- story time
- center time (dramatic play, blocks, discovery, art, etc.)
Additional Opportunities
Students at Denbigh ECC and Watkins ECC have the opportunity to participate in the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program, a form of enrichment education in which students are taught in two languages. Students in the DLI program will spend 50% of the day learning skills in English and the other 50% in Spanish. Because the students in each class come from two language backgrounds (native English and native Spanish speakers), they learn cooperatively and assist one another as they develop proficiency in their second language. Visit the NNPS Dual Language Immersion website for more information.
NNPS offers a comprehensive program for young children ages 2-5 who qualify for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): the Program for Educating Exceptional Preschoolers (PEEP). Young children learn social, self-help, communication, pre-academic, and motor skills, in accordance with the student's IEP. Children must be determined eligible for special education services to attend the PEEP program. Visit the NNPS Special Education website for more information.
Assessment
NNPS utilizes a balanced assessment model to collect data to set student goals and determine specific and targeted next steps to maximize learning opportunities. Each grade-level model includes state approved diagnostic and summative assessments.
Preschool Assessments
Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP)
Intervention
Student progress is monitored and analyzed frequently to identify students who may need additional support to meet grade-level expectations. Data-driven differentiated instruction is provided to our preschoolers in small groups or one-on-one settings. Interventions for preschool students include developmentally appropriate diagnostic assessment tools to evaluate progress and identify areas for improvement.
