Horizon Prep’s Early Education program nurtures young children through a Christ-centered, Montessori-based learning environment where curiosity is encouraged, independence is developed, and each child is known, loved, and prepared for the next stage of learning.
Through purposeful play, hands-on materials, teacher-guided instruction, Bible, music, movement, language, math, art, Spanish, and practical life activities, students begin building the confidence, habits, and joy that prepare them for Kindergarten and beyond.
Early Education Philosophy
Young children learn best through meaningful activity, loving guidance, repetition, discovery, and delight. Horizon Prep’s Early Education program follows a Montessori-based model of education, recognizing that play is a child’s work and that children grow at their own developmental pace.
Students are given opportunities to explore, choose, practice, create, and master skills through carefully prepared learning materials. At the same time, Horizon Prep intentionally balances independent work with one-on-one instruction, small group instruction, teacher-led classroom instruction, circle time, Bible, worship, and group activities.
This balanced approach helps children grow as independent learners while also learning how to follow direction, participate in a classroom community, listen attentively, and prepare for the structure of Kindergarten and Grammar School.
Key Distinctives
Montessori-Based Learning
Children learn through hands-on materials, purposeful play, practical life activities, sensory exploration, and developmentally appropriate choice.
Christ-Centered Formation
Students learn Bible stories, memorize Scripture, participate in chapel, worship together, and begin developing character through themes such as the Fruit of the Spirit.
Individualized Growth
Children progress at their own developmental pace in language, math, writing, practical life, sensorial work, geography, science, art, and social-emotional development.
Teacher-Guided Readiness
Students experience a balance of independent work, small group instruction, one-on-one support, teacher-led academic circle time, and whole-class learning.
Practical Life & Independence
Children practice everyday tasks such as pouring, sweeping, polishing, preparing food, caring for materials, and developing coordination, concentration, patience, and fine motor skills.
Connected to the Classical Pathway
Early Education gently prepares students for Horizon Prep’s Grammar School by building habits of attention, wonder, language, memory, self-control, joyful discovery, and love for learning.
Program Pathway
A Thoughtful Pathway for Young Learners
Every child develops at a unique pace. Horizon Prep’s Early Education pathway provides families with options that help children grow academically, socially, emotionally, spiritually, and developmentally before entering Kindergarten.
Preschool
Horizon Prep’s Preschool program follows a Montessori-based model where children learn through purposeful play, hands-on materials, guided exploration, and loving teacher support. Children are encouraged to develop independence, self-motivation, confidence, coordination, concentration, and curiosity.
Preschool work time includes practical life, sensorial exploration, language, math, geography, science, art, and free choice. Students also participate in Bible, prayer, music, movement, playground time, Spanish, chapel, and classroom routines that help them grow in community.
Pre-Kindergarten
Pre-Kindergarten blends Classical and Montessori elements to prepare students for a traditional Kindergarten environment. Students continue developing at their own pace while also participating more fully in whole-class and small group instruction.
In Pre-Kindergarten, students grow in Language Arts, Mathematics, Geography, Bible, practical life, social development, and classroom readiness. This structure allows children to explore and master concepts beyond what can often be taught in a traditional group setting, while also preparing them for the rhythms of Kindergarten.
Transitional Kindergarten
Transitional Kindergarten provides a bridge year for students who fall outside traditional age cut-offs or who would benefit from additional time to grow before Kindergarten. Students gain an extra year to develop academically, socially, and emotionally so they can enter Kindergarten with confidence.
TK supports children as they strengthen classroom readiness, early academics, independence, attention, social maturity, and the habits needed for success in a traditional Kindergarten program.
Curriculum Overview
A Rich Early Education Curriculum
Horizon Prep’s Early Education curriculum is designed to nurture the whole child. Students grow through Bible, language, math, writing, Spanish, art, practical life, sensorial exploration, music, movement, outdoor play, chapel, and enrichment opportunities.
The goal is not to rush childhood, but to cultivate readiness through joyful, purposeful, developmentally appropriate learning.
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Children learn Bible stories, participate in daily Bible lessons, and memorize a monthly Bible verse connected to their unit of study. Chapel, praise and worship, and monthly Bible themes help students begin forming spiritual understanding and Christlike character.
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Children are introduced to reading through letters, letter sounds, decoding, phonetic words, simple phrases, sentences, and beginning readers. Students progress developmentally and at their own pace as they build early literacy confidence.
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Students explore mathematical concepts through concrete materials before moving toward abstract symbols. This hands-on approach helps form a strong foundation for later mathematical thinking, problem solving, algebraic reasoning, and geometry.
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Children are introduced to handwriting when developmentally ready. They practice proper pencil grip, letter formation, fine motor control, and beginning written expression.
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Students are introduced to Spanish through basic vocabulary, songs, and stories, helping them develop early language awareness and joy in communication.
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Art is built into the daily curriculum through process-based lessons, teacher-led activities, and individual choice. Students explore finger painting, easel painting, watercolors, tempera, pastels, and creative expression.
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Children practice familiar everyday activities such as sweeping, polishing, pouring, preparing food, caring for materials, and building independence. These activities develop coordination, concentration, patience, order, and hand dexterity.
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Sensorial materials help children sharpen their senses by isolating qualities such as color, weight, shape, size, texture, sound, smell, and taste. These activities help children observe carefully, compare, classify, and understand the world around them.
Curriculum Tracking
How Learning Builds from Preschool to Kindergarten Readiness
Early Education learning is intentionally sequenced. Each stage helps children grow in independence, language, number sense, social development, spiritual formation, and classroom readiness.
This progression helps families understand how Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten, and Transitional Kindergarten work together to prepare children for the Grammar School journey.
Preschool
Children begin with discovery, independence, practical life, sensorial exploration, early language, early math, Bible, Spanish, art, music, movement, and joyful routines.
Pre-Kindergarten
Students grow in academic readiness, small group and whole-class participation, Language Arts, Mathematics, Geography, Bible, writing readiness, and social development.
Transitional Kindergarten
Students receive a bridge year to strengthen academic, social, emotional, and classroom readiness before entering Kindergarten with confidence.
Daily Rhythm
A Day Designed for Young Children
The Early Education day is intentionally designed to balance structure and freedom, activity and rest, teacher direction and student choice. Children participate in morning greetings, prayer and Bible time, circle time, playground time, academic circle, work time, music and movement, chapel, lunch, quiet time, group activities, and goodbye circle.
This daily rhythm helps children feel secure while giving them opportunities to grow in independence, attention, friendship, worship, responsibility, and joyful learning.
A Day May Include:
Morning greetings, prayer, and Bible time
Morning circle with calendar and helpers
Playground and outdoor play
Academic circle time
Montessori-based work time
Practical life, sensorial, math, language, geography, science, and art
Chapel, praise and worship, music, and movement
Spanish, art, music, and physical education
Lunch, quiet time, afternoon group activities, and goodbye circle
Enrichment, Chapel & Campus Life
More Than a Classroom
Early Education students experience a rich campus life that includes chapel, praise and worship, special areas, enrichment opportunities, and on-campus field trips. These experiences help young children grow in joy, confidence, curiosity, and community.
Highlights
Weekly chapel service on Thursday
Family Chapel on the first Thursday of the month
Praise and Worship on Wednesday mornings
Monthly Bible themes such as Creation, Adam and Eve, Fruit of the Spirit, Christmas, and Easter
Academic themes such as geography, zoology, botany, insects, oceanography, the solar system, community helpers, master artists, and transportation
Special areas including Spanish, art, music, and physical education
Enrichment opportunities such as Mandarin, soccer, clay, multi-sports, dance, cooking, tumbling, woodworking, organic gardening, and science
On-campus field trips such as Mad Science, Birch Aquarium, Symphony Labs, Flower Fields, dental visit, Helen Woodward Animal Center, and Fire Department
Preparing for Grammar School
Gently Preparing Children for What Comes Next
Early Education at Horizon Prep is not disconnected from the rest of the school. It is the beginning of a larger pathway.
Children develop the habits that prepare them for Grammar School: attention, order, independence, curiosity, memory, language, self-control, classroom participation, love for Scripture, and joy in learning. By the time students enter Kindergarten, they have been lovingly guided toward academic readiness, spiritual formation, social maturity, and confidence.
The goal is simple and important: children who are known, loved, prepared, and excited to keep learning.
Come Experience Early Education at Horizon Prep
The best way to understand Horizon Prep’s Early Education program is to see it firsthand. We invite your family to visit campus, meet our teachers, and experience the warmth, joy, and intentionality of our Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten, and Transitional Kindergarten classrooms.
