Finding the right preschool for your child is one of the most important decisions you'll make as a parent. During these formative early years, children develop the cognitive, social, emotional, and spiritual foundations that will influence their entire educational journey and beyond. For families in and around Evergreen seeking quality early childhood education grounded in Christian values, East Valley Christian School offers a preschool program that combines academic excellence, developmental appropriateness, and faith-centered learning in a nurturing environment.
Our preschool program serves children during the critical years when their brains are most receptive to learning, their personalities are emerging, and their understanding of themselves and the world around them is taking shape. We recognize the profound responsibility and privilege of partnering with families during this precious developmental window, and we've designed our program to honor each child's unique journey while providing the structure, support, and enrichment that early learning excellence requires.
Why Choose Christian Preschool Education
The decision to enroll your child in a Christian preschool versus a secular program reflects your family's values and your vision for your child's education. A faith-based curriculum offers distinctive benefits that extend far beyond the preschool years, shaping not just what children learn but who they become as they grow.
In a Christian preschool setting, children encounter an integrated worldview where learning about letters, numbers, and science happens within a framework that acknowledges God as Creator and children as beloved creations made with purpose. Biblical principles like kindness, honesty, forgiveness, and gratitude aren't just taught during designated "religion time"—they're woven throughout the day in how we structure our community, respond to conflicts, and celebrate each child's inherent worth.
Key advantages of Christian preschool education include:
- Character development rooted in timeless biblical principles
- A supportive community of families who share your values
- Teachers who view their work as ministry and calling
- Integration of faith into all aspects of learning
- Development of spiritual awareness alongside academic and social skills
- A safe environment where Christian beliefs are affirmed and celebrated
For families who are active in church communities, a Christian preschool provides continuity between home, church, and school—reinforcing the same values and teachings across all the important spheres of your child's life. Children develop positive associations with faith, prayer, and biblical stories during these impressionable years, creating foundations for lifelong spiritual growth.
Our Approach to Quality Early Childhood Education
Quality in early childhood education isn't determined by how early children learn to read or how many worksheets they complete. Research consistently demonstrates that the most effective preschool programs focus on comprehensive child development through play-based, developmentally appropriate practices that honor how young children actually learn.
At East Valley Christian School, our preschool philosophy recognizes that three, four, and five-year-old children learn primarily through hands-on exploration, meaningful play, and positive relationships with caring adults. We've created an environment rich with opportunities for discovery, creativity, problem-solving, and social interaction—all the experiences that build neural connections and establish patterns for future learning.
Our teachers understand child development and know how to create learning experiences that are challenging enough to promote growth but not so difficult that they create frustration. They observe children carefully to understand each child's current abilities, interests, and learning style, then use this knowledge to differentiate instruction and provide individualized support. This responsive teaching ensures that every child is appropriately challenged and supported, regardless of whether they're developing ahead of, behind, or right on schedule with typical developmental milestones.
Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum
Our Christian preschool curriculum is carefully designed to address all domains of child development—cognitive, language, physical, social, and emotional—while remaining responsive to the wide range of abilities typically present in any preschool classroom. We follow a structured daily schedule that provides predictability and security while allowing flexibility to follow children's interests and extend teachable moments.
- Literacy and language development: Children engage with books multiple times daily, participate in phonological awareness activities, explore emergent writing, and expand vocabulary through rich conversations
- Mathematical thinking: Students develop number sense, pattern recognition, spatial reasoning, measurement concepts, and problem-solving skills through hands-on experiences
- Scientific exploration: Children observe natural phenomena, conduct simple investigations, develop curiosity about how things work, and learn to ask questions and seek answers
- Creative expression: Art, music, dramatic play, and movement activities allow children to express themselves, develop creativity, and refine fine and gross motor skills
- Social-emotional learning: We explicitly teach emotion recognition, self-regulation strategies, conflict resolution skills, empathy, and cooperation while building a caring classroom community
Every activity in our program serves a purpose, though that purpose may not always be obvious to outside observers. When children build with blocks, they're exploring mathematical concepts. When they engage in pretend play, they're developing language, social skills, and executive function. When they paint at the easel, they're refining fine motor control and learning to express ideas visually. Our teachers recognize these learning opportunities and skillfully extend children's thinking without interrupting the natural engagement that makes play such a powerful learning tool.
Faith Integration Throughout the Day
What distinguishes our program as a Christian preschool goes beyond simply adding Bible stories to an otherwise secular curriculum. Faith integration at East Valley Christian School means creating an environment where children encounter God's love, learn biblical principles, and begin to understand themselves as part of God's creation throughout every aspect of their day.
Our faith-based curriculum includes:
- Daily prayer that teaches children to communicate with God about their gratitude, concerns, and hopes
- Bible stories presented in age-appropriate ways that help children understand biblical characters and principles
- Christian music and songs that reinforce biblical concepts and make worship joyful
- Character lessons grounded in scriptural teachings about love, kindness, honesty, forgiveness, and service
- Creation-focused science exploration that recognizes God as the ultimate Creator
- Service projects that help young children begin to understand how they can show God's love to others
We present faith concepts in concrete, relatable ways that young children can understand and connect to their own experiences. Rather than abstract theological discussions, we focus on helping children know that God loves them, created them with purpose, and wants them to love and care for others. Teachers model Christian character and values in how they interact with children, respond to conflicts, and celebrate each child's unique gifts.
Our approach respects that preschool-aged children are just beginning their faith journey. We plant seeds, create positive associations with church and faith, and establish foundations that families and churches will continue to build upon throughout childhood and beyond.
Preparing Children for Future Success
While we focus on meeting children where they currently are developmentally, we also keep an eye toward preparing them for kindergarten and beyond. However, our definition of school readiness encompasses much more than academic skills alone.
Research demonstrates that kindergarten success depends on a constellation of factors including social-emotional competence, self-regulation, problem-solving abilities, communication skills, and positive attitudes toward learning—not just knowledge of letters and numbers. Children who enter kindergarten able to manage their emotions, cooperate with peers, follow multi-step directions, and persist when faced with challenges are positioned for success regardless of whether they can yet read.
Comprehensive School Readiness
Our preschool program develops the whole child, ensuring that graduates enter kindergarten with:
- Academic foundations in early literacy, mathematics, and scientific thinking
- Social competence including the ability to form relationships, cooperate, share, and resolve conflicts
- Emotional regulation skills for managing feelings appropriately and recovering from disappointment
- Independence in self-care tasks like using the bathroom, managing belongings, and following routines
- Communication skills for expressing needs, asking questions, and engaging in conversations
- Physical development including both fine motor skills for writing and gross motor skills for active play
- Executive function abilities like focusing attention, remembering instructions, and showing flexibility
For families planning to continue at East Valley Christian School for elementary grades, our preschool provides seamless transition into kindergarten with familiar faces, consistent values, and developmental continuity. Our preschool and elementary teachers collaborate to ensure appropriate progression of skills and expectations.
Educational Standards and Teacher Qualifications
Quality early childhood education requires knowledgeable, skilled teachers who understand child development and know how to create engaging, appropriate learning experiences. Our preschool teachers bring both professional expertise and genuine calling to their work with young children.
All our preschool staff members have backgrounds in early childhood education and ongoing professional development to stay current with best practices in the field. More importantly, they approach teaching as ministry—viewing each child as a precious individual created in God's image and deserving of patient, loving guidance. This combination of professional competence and heartfelt commitment creates an environment where children feel valued, safe, and excited to learn.
Our program aligns with recognized preschool educational standards for early learning, ensuring that children are developing skills and knowledge that will prepare them for kindergarten success. We maintain appropriate child-to-teacher ratios that allow for individualized attention and supervision.
Enrollment Information and Getting Started
We enroll children in our preschool program on a rolling basis as space is available. Our program serves children ages three through five, with classrooms organized by age and developmental level. We offer various schedule options to accommodate different family needs while maintaining consistency that benefits young children.
The enrollment process includes:
- Scheduling a tour to visit our facility and meet our teachers
- Completing an application with relevant information about your child
- Providing required health and immunization records
- Attending an orientation to learn about policies, procedures, and expectations
- Beginning the exciting journey of preschool education
We encourage families to visit our campus, observe our classrooms in action, ask questions, and get a feel for our community before making this important decision. Seeing our program firsthand helps parents understand the distinctive quality of our early childhood education and the warmth of our Christian environment.
Financial considerations are important for many families, and we strive to make quality Christian education accessible. Information about tuition, payment plans, and any available scholarship or financial assistance programs can be discussed when you contact us to learn more about enrollment.
The East Valley Christian School Difference
Choosing a preschool means choosing the community that will welcome your child during these formative years, the values that will be reinforced daily, and the approach to learning that will shape your child's educational trajectory. At East Valley Christian School, we offer quality early childhood education that honors the whole child—mind, body, and spirit.
Our program stands apart through our commitment to faith integration that goes beyond surface-level religious activities, our focus on developmentally appropriate practices grounded in research about how young children learn, our experienced teachers who combine professional expertise with genuine care for each student, and our supportive community of families who share your commitment to Christian values.
We understand that entrusting your young child to a new environment requires confidence in the program and people who will care for them. We invite you to discover the difference that a truly excellent Christian preschool can make in your child's life.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age does my child need to be to enroll in your preschool program?
We serve children ages 3 through 5 in our preschool program. Children must be three years old by the enrollment date and should be potty trained before starting. We organize classrooms by age and developmental level to ensure appropriate curriculum and peer interactions. If you have questions about whether your child is ready for preschool or which classroom would be the best fit, we're happy to discuss your child's individual situation during a campus visit.
How does a Christian preschool curriculum differ from other Evergreen educational options?
A Christian preschool curriculum integrates biblical principles and values into all aspects of learning rather than treating faith as a separate subject. Children learn academic and social skills within a framework that recognizes God as Creator, emphasizes character development rooted in Scripture, and creates a community centered on Christian love and service. Teachers view their work as ministry, and families share common values that create consistency between home and school. The academic content and developmental practices are comparable to high-quality secular programs, but the spiritual dimension and values foundation provide distinctive benefits for families seeking faith-based education.
What does developmentally appropriate practice mean in early childhood education?
Developmentally appropriate practice means that curriculum, teaching methods, and expectations are suited to children's age, individual abilities, and cultural context. For preschoolers, this means learning happens primarily through play, hands-on exploration, and meaningful interactions rather than through worksheets or formal instruction. Teachers observe children to understand their current developmental level and provide activities that are challenging but achievable with support. This approach honors how young children's brains work and what type of experiences best promote learning during the preschool years.
How do you prepare children for kindergarten while maintaining a play-based approach?
Play is actually the most effective way to prepare young children for kindergarten because it develops the comprehensive skills needed for school success—not just academic knowledge but also social competence, self-regulation, problem-solving, and positive attitudes toward learning. Our play-based approach is intentionally designed with clear learning objectives. Children develop literacy skills through dramatic play and storytelling, mathematical thinking through block building and sorting games, and scientific reasoning through hands-on exploration. This approach builds deeper, more transferable skills than premature academic drilling would accomplish.
What opportunities exist for family involvement in the preschool program?
Families can be involved in numerous ways depending on their schedules and interests. Some parents volunteer regularly in classrooms, helping with activities or reading to small groups. Others participate in special events, field trips, or school-wide celebrations. We also welcome families to share special talents, cultural traditions, or career information that enriches our curriculum. At minimum, we encourage all families to extend learning at home through conversations about school, reading together daily, and reinforcing the social-emotional skills we're teaching. Strong home-school partnerships significantly enhance children's preschool experience and learning outcomes.
Visit Our Campus and Experience Our Program
The best way to understand what makes our preschool program special is to experience it firsthand. We welcome prospective families to schedule a tour of our facility, observe our classrooms in action, meet our teachers, and ask questions about our approach to early childhood education.
During your visit, you'll see children engaged in purposeful play, hear the warmth and encouragement in teacher interactions, observe the thoughtfully designed learning environment, and get a sense of the caring Christian community that defines East Valley Christian School. You'll understand why families throughout the area choose our program for their children's crucial early learning years.
Contact us today to schedule your campus tour and learn more about enrolling your child in quality Christian preschool education. We look forward to meeting your family and potentially partnering with you in your child's early educational journey.
