For over 30 years, BUMP has provided children with their first school experience, using an age appropriate curriculum that encourages a love of learning and creative thinking. Children are provided opportunities to examine, explore, discover, inquire, investigate and problem solve. They are encouraged to express themselves through art, dramatic play, and conversation.

Our experienced staff emphasizes letter recognition and phonemic awareness across our curriculum. Early literacy and pre-math skills are cultivated through thematic units and daily classroom routines. 
Intellectual Curiosity
Science Exploration and Experiments
Discovery Centers
Cooking
Environmental Earth Studies
Community Field Trips

Music & Movement
Each week all classes participate in this class which focuses on improved large motor skills and cooperative play while following specific instructions.

Story Time
This time provides an excellent opportunity to practice the skill of listening and beginning the ability to recall a detail from what is being read.

Dramatic Play
During the circle/center time each child has some time to “pretend” play and act out adventures with their classmates while still keeping their actions appropriate.

Arts & Crafts
Much of the learning at this age comes from the act of doing. Through a variety of styles and materials the children begin to constructively explore their imagination. Some projects focus more heavily on following directions and listening. Most activities of this nature encourage fine motor skills and appropriate grip of the pencil, crayon, paint brush, etc.

Weekly Devotional
Teachers lead a weekly devotional/story time that echoes the theme of monthly Chapel. Our goal is simply for children to know that God loves them, we love them, and that we should try to love others the way God loves us.

Monthly Chapel
Students join a member of the ministry staff of Burke United Methodist Church in the Chapel each month for a time of musical worship and a Bible story, shared via object lesson in a fun and age-appropriate way. 
2’s Class
o    Create Positive Feelings about school.
o    Encourage independence.
o    Teach basic school routines.
o    Encourage sharing and playing together with friends.
o    Plan activities that develop gross and fine motor skills.
o    Provide opportunities for children to pray and learn about God            focusing on God’s love for us and God’s desire for us to be good        people.

3’s Class
o    Create positive feelings about school.
o    Encourage independence.
o    Create experiences that allow children to increase
      their confidence.
o    Teach basic school routines.
o    Encourage children to work and play together.
o    Plan activities that develop gross and fine motor
      skills.
o    Introduce basic geometric shapes.
o    Introduce basic colors.
o    Introduce children to identifying their first name.
o    Introduce counting from 1-10.
o    Provide opportunities for children to pray and learn
      about God focusing on God’s love for us and God’s
      desire for us to be good people.

4’s Class
o    Foster positive feelings about school.
o    Encourage independence.
o    Create experiences that allow children to increase
      their confidence.
o    Encourage children to work and play together.
o    Plan activities that develop gross and fine motor
      skills.
o    Work on having children identify and write their
      first name.
o    Introduce the children to the alphabet.
o    Work on developing the ability to count from 1-30,
      identify the numbers 1-10, and write numbers 1-10.
o    Provide opportunities for children to pray and learn
      about God focusing on God’s love for us and God’s
      desire for us to be good people.

Transition Class
o    Foster social and emotional development.
o    Encourage independence.
o    Create experiences that allow children to increase
      their confidence.
o    Encourage children to work and play together.
o    Plan activities that develop gross and fine motor.
      Skills.
o    Work on having the children identify their first and
      last names as well as be able to write first name.
o    Work on letter recognition and letter sounds.
o    Offer a daily writing and science center.
o    Work on one to one correspondence when counting.
o    Expose children to additional pre-reading and pre-
      math skills such as one to one correspondence when
      reading, rhyming, patterns, extending patterns, etc.
o    Provide opportunities for children to pray and learn
      about God focusing on God’s love for us and God’s
      desire for us to be good people.
Lindsey Lyons, Preschool Director
6200 Burke Centre Parkway, Burke, Virginia 22015
703.250.3657
Lindseylyons@burkeumc.org