Pre-Kindergarten

Pre-K serves as the foundation of a child’s educational journey, laying the essential groundwork for future learning success. WCPS offers outstanding Pre-K programs in every elementary school and at two high schools. Our goal is to foster school readiness by combining high-quality instruction with developmentally appropriate practices. Our programs provide a full day of instruction which includes learning, play, lunch, recess, and time to rest. All of our Pre-K classrooms are staffed with a certified early childhood teacher and a paraprofessional. In addition, all of our Pre-K programs participate in Maryland EXCELS, a quality rating system that ensures a commitment to delivering high-quality childcare and early education for our youngest learners.  

Pre-K Enrollment: Enrolling is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

Step 1 - Complete Pre-K Application & Proof of Income

• APPLICATION: A paper application can be picked up at any elementary school OR a digital application can be downloaded here (English or Spanish)
   
• PROOF OF INCOME: You must also submit proof of income for every adult in the household (the State of Maryland requires us to collect this information), but all ALL incomes are accepted!
   
• (To enroll in Pre-K, a student must be four (4) year old on or before September 1)

Step 2 - Submit Pre-K Application and Proof of Income for Review

• by MAIL: 10435 Downsville Pike, Hagerstown, MD 21740
• by HAND: at any elementary school or WCPS Central Office

The WCPS Office of Early Learning will review your application and, within two weeks, provide you with further details and enrollment forms either through traditional mail or via email (depending on your selected preference in the application).

Step 3 - Complete the Enrollment Forms & Provide the Following Documents to the School Your Student Will Attend:

• A photo ID of the parent/legal guardian enrolling the child
• Child’s birth certificate
• Immunization records
• Health inventory (completed by the child’s doctor within nine months prior to entering school or within six months after entering school)
• Proof of residency (mortgage/rental agreement, electric or water bill that is current within 90 days prior to registration. Telephone bills and/or driver’s license are not acceptable)
• Custody documents (if applicable)

A parent/legal guardian should call the school the child will attend and make an appointment to complete enrollment!

Maryland EXCELS

Maryland EXCELS is the state's quality rating system for childcare and early education programs, based on nationally recognized quality standards.  Programs are rated from 1 to 5, with a rating of 5 indicating the highest quality and state or national accreditation.  EVERY elementary school in WCPS is published at a Level 5 in EXCELS. 

Pre-K Daily Schedule

The daily schedule for WCPS Pre-K programs, while varying between different schools, is designed to provide a comprehensive, full-day experience that supports early childhood development. Every Pre-K schedule includes a balanced mix of academic and developmental activities, covering a wide range of subjects and skills including English Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Science, Lunch, Recess, and Purposeful Play Centers.

Attendance

It’s important for your child to attend school every day and arrive on time. Consistent attendance helps them establish structures and routines that will help to ensure success in Pre-K and beyond. These good habits will also help to develop a positive attitude towards school and allow your child to build meaningful relationships with their teachers and classmates.

Pre-K Curriculum

ELA (English Language Arts)

The Pre-K English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum for Washington County Public Schools, built around the Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) program, provides a robust framework for building foundational literacy skills. In the Knowledge lessons, students explore five thematic domains: All About Me, Families and Communities, Animals, Plants, and Habitats. Additionally, two continuous themes, Classic Tales and Important People in American History, are integrated across the year to enrich students' exposure to literature and history.

Learning is supported through both whole-group and small-group instruction, with diverse text types and writing activities to reinforce key concepts. The curriculum includes a dedicated Skills Block focusing on Phonemic Awareness—targeting letter recognition, sounds, rhyming, blending and segmenting, and syllable work. Explicit handwriting instruction is also a core component, where students practice CKLA stroke patterns with engaging handwriting poems. This holistic approach aims to foster strong literacy foundations in Pre-K students, setting the stage for future academic success.

Math

Washington County Public Schools’ Pre-Kindergarten math curriculum, Bridges Math Curriculum, is rooted in the Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards, focusing on developing essential number sense concepts. The program organizes math lessons around engaging, seasonal themes like apples, pumpkins and leaves, shapes, winter, teddy bears, robots, bugs, and sink and float. This thematic approach helps young learners connect math concepts to their world.

Through both whole-group and small-group instruction, Pre-K students engage in activities that build foundational math skills such as sorting, rote counting, matching sets to numerals, adding one, comparing sets, patterning, graphing, problem-solving, exploring number combinations, and story problems. The inclusion of hands-on experiences, like sink and float activities, allows students to apply mathematical reasoning in real-world contexts. This comprehensive focus on building number sense in the early years supports ongoing mathematical growth and understanding throughout their educational journey.

Science

In Washington County Public Schools, Pre-Kindergarten science instruction is designed to be both engaging and foundational, aligning with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) through an integrated approach. The three key NGSS dimensions—Disciplinary Core Ideas, Crosscutting Concepts, and Science and Engineering Practices—are woven into every science lesson, allowing students to explore big scientific ideas while developing critical thinking and inquiry skills.

The curriculum introduces students to thematic units such as Shadows, Computer Science, Growing Up Wild, Inspired to Design, Motion and Ramps, and Water. Through hands-on, imaginative activities, students are encouraged to act as young scientists, making observations, conducting simple experiments, and drawing conclusions about the world around them. This early exposure to scientific thinking fosters creativity and curiosity, laying the groundwork for future exploration and understanding in science.

Social Studies

Washington County Public Schools’ Pre-K Social Studies curriculum aims to empower young learners by building foundational knowledge and skills to become informed, responsible citizens. Through themes like history, geography, economics, and civics, students gain an understanding of their roles within their classroom, school, and community.

In engaging, hands-on lessons, Pre-K students explore topics such as citizenship, important historical figures, transportation, comparisons between "long ago" and "today," and core values like freedom and equality. They also begin to grasp basic geography concepts, fostering an early awareness of their surroundings and how they connect to the larger world. This curriculum nurtures students' social awareness and civic-mindedness, encouraging them to actively and positively engage with the world around them.

End of Year Pre-K Goals (English)

End of Year Pre-K Goals (Spanish) 

Pre-K Resources

Pre-K Frequently Asked Questions

Activities of Daily Living

Children develop at many different rates. If your child is challenged by potty training due to medical reasons, please communicate with the school’s nursing staff to ensure the individual needs of your child are adequately met. Although not a requirement, If your child does not have a medical reason for this challenge it is highly recommended that your child be potty-trained prior to attending school. 

For both instructional and emotional reasons, it is truly beneficial to a child if that "activity of daily living" is taught prior to enrolling. If this process continues to challenge you and your child, please see below  for some additional resources.

 We recognize that students often have accidents, therefore our schools will ask that you provide a change of clothes. However, it is our expectation that your child will be successful with this activity of daily living on a regular basis.

Potty Training Tips 
 

Supporting Your Child at Home

The activities below as suggested by Ready at Five.org cover a wide range of skills that contribute to a child's physical, academic, and social growth. Here's a summary and some additional insights into how these strategies can benefit your child's development:

1. Daily Reading Time

• Why It Matters: Setting aside time for reading fosters a love for books, improves language skills, and enhances cognitive development.
• How to Do It: Choose a consistent time (like bedtime or after dinner) and make it a routine. Encourage your child to participate by "reading" to you, even if it's from memory, to boost their confidence and comprehension.

2. Helping with Household Chores

• Why It Matters: Involving children in chores teaches responsibility, fine motor skills, and categorization (e.g., sorting laundry by colors).
• How to Do It: Let your child use a small broom, dusting cloth, or help with sorting items. Turn it into a game to keep it fun!

3. Making and Playing Musical Instruments

• Why It Matters: Creating and playing instruments stimulates creativity, fine motor coordination, and auditory skills.
• How to Do It: Use everyday household items like pots, pans, or paper towel tubes. Encourage your child to explore different sounds and rhythms.

4. Exploring the Outdoors

• Why It Matters: Outdoor exploration enhances sensory experiences, curiosity, and observation skills. It's also a great way to teach new vocabulary.
• How to Do It: While walking, point out interesting things (like construction machines or different types of trees) and engage in conversations about them.

5. Interactive Reading with Books

• Why It Matters: Books that incorporate counting or sorting help with number recognition and categorization.
• How to Do It: Choose bilingual books if applicable, and incorporate interactive elements like counting objects or identifying colors.

6. Sensory Play with Hidden Objects

• Why It Matters: This activity improves tactile awareness, memory, and language skills as children describe what they feel.
• How to Do It: Hide small familiar items in a box, and have your child guess what they are just by touching them.

7. Playing with Water and Measuring Cups

• Why It Matters: This is a great way to introduce basic concepts of volume and measurement while enhancing fine motor skills.
• How to Do It: Ask questions like “Which cup is bigger?” or “How many small cups does it take to fill the big one?”

8. Teaching Social Manners

• Why It Matters: Teaching manners early on helps children develop social skills and understand appropriate behavior.
• How to Do It: Consistently model and reinforce polite behavior like saying “please” and “thank you,” and teach safety rules like holding hands when crossing the street.

9. Encouraging Social Play

• Why It Matters: Playing with others helps children develop empathy, cooperation, and social problem-solving skills.
• How to Do It: Arrange playdates or join playgroups where your child can interact with peers in a supervised environment.

10. Pretend Play with Dolls or Role-Playing

• Why It Matters: Pretend play enhances imagination, language development, and emotional understanding.
• How to Do It: Use dolls to model caregiving or set up pretend scenarios like a coffee shop to practice conversation skills.

Additional Tips for Parents

• Be Patient and Encouraging: Praise efforts, not just successes. This builds confidence and resilience.
• Follow Your Child’s Interests: If they show a preference for a certain activity, incorporate similar tasks to keep them engaged.
• Balance Structured and Unstructured Play: While guided activities are great for learning, unstructured play fosters creativity and independent problem-solving.

These strategies not only support your child's early development but also create a strong bond between you and your child through shared activities.

Daily Schedule
The daily schedule for WCPS Pre-K programs, while varying between different schools, is designed to provide a comprehensive, full-day experience that supports early childhood development. Every Pre-K schedule includes a balanced mix of academic and developmental activities, covering a wide range of subjects and skills including English Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Science, Lunch, Recess, and Purposeful Play Centers.
 

Rest Time 
Students have daily scheduled rest times. This developmentally appropriate time allows students the necessary time needed to physically and mentally recharge. Not all students require this time, but all are encouraged to use this down time to relax, read, and participate in small learning groups. This time is shortened as the year progresses to assist in creating the stamina needed for a full-day of kindergarten.