Kindergarten & Preschool

K3–K5

Gateway Christian Academy’s K3–K5 Program

Gateway Christian Academy’s K3–K5 program offers a nurturing and engaging environment that sets young learners on a path toward academic and spiritual growth. Since 1966, our mission has remained consistent: to train students spiritually, academically, socially, and physically, preparing them to impact the world for Christ. This mission is woven into every aspect of our early childhood experience.

Families can choose from flexible options, including a half-day program for K3, K4, and K5 students. Half-day students typically depart at 12:30 p.m., just before nap time, ensuring they receive all core academic instruction in the morning.

We use a blend of trusted resources—including A Beka, BJU Press, ACSI, and Gateway-created content—to deliver a developmentally appropriate, Christ-centered curriculum. Each subject is taught from a biblical worldview with a focus on age-specific milestones in literacy, numeracy, character development, and spiritual formation.

Academics and Enrichment:

- Bible: Each day begins with Bible lessons and verse memorization that instill a love for God’s Word. Children hear stories of creation, Christ, missionaries, and biblical heroes while learning practical lessons in obedience, kindness, and faith.
- Literacy & Phonics: Phonics-based instruction begins as early as K3, building through K5 with guided reading circles, vocabulary development, sentence comprehension, and special sounds. All students learn cursive writing before transitioning to print.
- Math: Students develop number sense, counting, early operations, and concepts like greater/less than, patterns, and telling time.
- Science & Social Studies: Children explore God’s creation, health, weather, community helpers, plants, geography, and American history in engaging, hands-on ways that build curiosity and understanding of the world.
- Spanish: K3–K5 students are introduced to Spanish through songs, vocabulary, and basic conversational elements tied to Bible themes.
- Art & Music: Weekly art and music classes (including violin and piano at K5) encourage creativity and develop fine motor and musical skills.
- Recess & Play: Students enjoy 45 minutes of outdoor recess daily in a secure, age-appropriate play space, promoting physical development and social interaction. Play is purposeful and designed to support imagination, emotional growth, and cooperation.
- Special Activities: K5 students also participate in a capstone end-of-year program and graduation ceremony to celebrate their growth and readiness for elementary school.

We invite you to visit our 23-acre campus and experience firsthand the warmth, excellence, and spiritual grounding of Gateway Christian Academy’s early education program. We look forward to welcoming your family into ours as we lay a lasting foundation for your child’s future.

K3–K5 Program Objectives

At Gateway Christian Academy, we’ve established specific K3–K5 program objectives that enable ours students to thrive spiritually, academically, socially, and physically as we prepare them to impact the world for Christ.

K3 Objectives

Biblical Foundations: Students explore the Bible from Creation to Christ, learning about key figures like Jesus, Noah, and Daniel. Stories are paired with age-appropriate truths that teach faith, obedience, and God’s love.

Literacy Foundations: Phonics, handwriting, and multisensory activities build early reading skills. A print-rich environment supports fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary growth.

Mathematical Thinking: Hands-on activities develop number sense, counting, and pattern recognition. Students practice early problem-solving through real-world exploration.

Science & Social Studies Integration: Through God’s creation, students explore animals, seasons, and the world around them. Cross-curricular lessons connect literacy, science, and social skills.

Purposeful Play: Play is designed to build imagination, cooperation, and motor development. Children engage in discovery-based learning that supports emotional and academic growth.

Creative Arts: Through songs, crafts, and movement, students express worship and creativity. Art and music strengthen fine motor skills and nurture a heart for beauty and praise.

Character & Community: Students learn patience, kindness, and self-control through biblical examples. Structure, routine, and social interaction help develop empathy, respect, and responsibility.

K4 Objectives

Bible: Students are introduced to basic Bible stories, progressively moving into New Testament teachings. The focus is on building a strong biblical foundation that helps children understand God’s love and truth.

Literacy: Students begin developing handwriting skills with an introduction to cursive. Phonics-based instruction is used to teach foundational reading skills, and students participate in guided reading circles to support fluency and comprehension.

Math: Students learn to recognize and understand numbers 1–20, including the concepts of greater than and less than. Instruction emphasizes guided practice and builds number sense and cardinality.

Social Studies: Lessons cover essential topics such as safety, health, character development, and early science skills. Students also learn about community helpers, including first responders.

Foreign Language: Students are introduced to Spanish through songs, vocabulary, and interactive lessons that build early language skills.

Play Time: Through guided play, students develop foundational skills as they explore, imagine, and learn. Activities are designed to spark curiosity and promote early learning in a joyful, hands-on environment.

K5 Objectives

Bible: Students explore God’s Word through missionary stories from around the world, the Creation account, the book of Genesis, and the life of Christ.

Literacy and Phonics: Foundational skills are built through instruction in letter sounds, reading, sentence comprehension, and vocabulary. Students develop phonemic awareness through special sounds, 1- and 2-vowel words, and blends, while also learning to write in cursive.

Social Studies: Students are introduced to basic geography concepts and early American history to help them understand the world around them.

Reading: Guided reading circles are continued throughout the year, reinforcing fluency and comprehension skills.

Science: Students explore God’s world through engaging units on health, seeds and plants, and weather, recognizing God as the Creator and Sustainer of life.

Grammar: Basic grammar skills are introduced, including capital letters and fundamental grammar concepts to support early writing development.

Math: Students learn number recognition, cardinality, and number sense as a foundation. They practice counting, skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s, recognizing and using currency, telling time to the hour, and solving simple addition and subtraction problems.

Art: Students participate in specific art classes that encourage creativity and develop fine motor skills through age-appropriate projects.

Recess and Play Time: Each day includes 45 minutes of outdoor recess, providing space for students to run, play, and build social and motor skills in a safe, active setting.

Spanish: Weekly Spanish lessons introduce students to colors, numbers, and Bible songs, laying the foundation for early language acquisition.

End-of-Year Program: The year concludes with a special kindergarten program and graduation ceremony that highlights all students have learned and celebrates their growth.