1st year Pre-K is for children that will be 4 by September 1st of the enrolling school year.
At Stepping Stones we see great value in having the 4’s be their own class, while 4 1/2 year olds are in a separate program. This helps us target specific learning needs that a younger 4 year old may still be developing, while an almost 5 year old has other needs. The goals and objectives of each classroom is the same, while the social dynamics are geared for the differing needs.
The goal of our 1st Year Pre-Kindergarten program is to help young children grow and mature in a God centered environment with developmentally appropriate activities and instruction. We work with each child to help develop a love for learning, with an emphasis geared toward Kindergarten Readiness.
As your child continues their educational journey we strive to make each step a positive one.
All students must be toilet trained. All tuition pricing is based on a 10 month payment schedule.
2026-27 School Year
Below are the details for our 2026-27 programing. Please call prior to beginning the registration process, to verify there is space in the class you are requesting. Visit our Registration page to review the process.
| Call for availability | ||||
| Main Campus | Mon/Tues/Wed/Thur | 8:25-11:55 am | 3.5 hours | $580.00/month ($5800/year) |
| Lighthouse Campus | Mon/Wed/Fri | 8:15-11:45 am | 3.5 hours | $490.00/month ($4900/year) |
| Lighthouse Campus | Mon/Wed/Fri | 12:15-3:15 pm | 3 hours | $455.00/month ($4550/year) |
1st & 3rd Friday Class
Does your preschooler love school? On the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month, we offer an add-on class for at our Lighthouse Campus for all age levels.
Light House Campus: 8:30 am–12:30 pm
$120 per month ($1200 per year)
Goals and Objectives of 1st Year Pre-K (4’s)
- Identifies and groups objects by characteristics
- Big and little
- Groups by particular characteristics
- Subgroups items by additional characteristics
- Identifies what doesn’t belong
- Copies a simple pattern – Creates a simple pattern
- Creates a pattern
- Copies a simple block design & a complex block design
- Uses comparative words (big, bigger, biggest)
- Differences between hot/cold, hard/soft, wet/dry, full/empty
- Matches colors
- Groups items and pictures (cow with barn) (from large to small)
- Identify opposites
- Identifies common sounds
- Identify 8 colors
- Put together a simple puzzle 12-24 pieces
- Awareness of time concepts and sequence
- Understand concept of daily routines
- Waits turn
- Puts 3 pictured events in sequential order
- Understand present and future tenses of words
- Uses past and future tenses of words correctly
- Demonstrates world around us
- Understands that animals need food, water and air to survive
- Identifies seeds grow into plants and parts of plant
- Identifies sun, moon, stars
- Describes weather
- Understands air all around us
- Demonstrates creativity
- Pretends one item is another (block is a car)
- Multiple uses for classroom objects
- Asks “what if” and seeks answers
- Draws a person in detail
- Demonstrates memory
- Recalls 3 objects that are present visually
- Identifies when something is missing from a picture
- 75-80 percent of words are understandable
- Communicates verbally
- Speaks so others can understand
- Answers questions with a complete thought
- Answers questions with detail
- Uses complex sentences to express thoughts and feelings
- Repeats parts of songs, rhymes, stories and finger plays
- Uses pronouns correctly
- Uses plurals correctly
- Names common objects in pictures, clothing, furniture
- Describes what is happening in a picture
- Uses positional words (over, under, etc.)
- Asks complex questions
- Learning to Say:
- Please and Thank You,
- You’re Welcome, Excuse me
- Yes/No
- Asking to be excused
- Not interrupting when others are talking
- Waiting their turn to talk, patiently
- Obeying the first time
- Respectful of adults and teachers
- Demonstrates understanding of numbers
- Counts 20 items/objects
- Can rote count to 20 by memory
- Recognizes number 1-20
- Can write numbers 1-20
- Recognize and identify shapes: circle, square, triangle, diamond, cross, & rectangle
- Identify size differences (big, small)
- Sequence different sizes (small, smaller, and smallest)
- Categorize objects (shape, color, size, texture)
- One-to-one correspondence
- Identifies AB pattern
- Demonstrates one-to-one correspondence
- Uses one-to-one correspondence to compare sets
- Measures objects
- Understands objects have weight, length, etc.
- Runs around obstacles
- Walk on a line forward & backward-8 ft.
- Walks on tiptoe
- Stands on one foot 10 seconds
- Hops on one foot five plus times
- Jump 3 times with both feet
- Balance on one foot for 5 seconds
- Throws beanbag to a target
- Catches, bounces, rolls, kick, and throws a ball easily
- Climbs well
- Claps to rhythm of music
- Can use crayons/markers using fingers
- Uses age appropriate pencil grasp effectively
- Can glue
- Paints with a brush
- Draws horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines
- Copies circle, triangle, squares
- Forms shapes with clay
- Strings 5 small beads
- Puts pegs in board
- Builds tower of 10 small blocks
- Applies glue and pastes collage pieces
- Screws and unscrews nuts and bolts
- Uses scissors to cut along a straight line
- Uses scissors to cut simple shapes out of paper
- Shows pleasures in dealing with people and things
- Show affection or concern for others
- Separates from family member without undue stress
- Interact well with peers
- Follow classroom rules, without prompting
- Understand consequences of not following class rules
- Work and play independently
- Work or play with another child
- Work or play in a group
- Express wide range of emotions, identify, & begin to understand and deal with them
- Indicates awareness of people and having different feelings in situations
- Recognizes the needs or desires of another
- Accepts a compromise suggested by another
- Suggests a compromise to solve a problem
- Maintains a friendship with another child and can be a good friend
- Share toys or takes turns
- Follows simple rules in a game
- Able to wait his/her turn
- Accept a compromise suggested by another
- Learning to suggest compromises to solve a problem
- Understands print concept
- Understands that all words can be written
- Recognizes and identifies letters upper and lower case letters
- Make letter-phonetic sound connections
- Copies letters
- Writes letters independently
- Copies name
- Writes their name independently
- Demonstrates enjoyment of stories and books
- Participates in story time
- Asks teacher to read a book
- Talks about a story or a book
- Looks independently at books
- Acts out a story
- Retells a story, including details
- Uses illustrations to guess what comes next
- Predicts what will happen next in a story
- Demonstrates knowledge of how to use a book
- Holds book properly
- Turns one page at a time
- Pretends to read a book
- Read simple words
- Seeks information from books
- Rhyming, recognizes rhyming words
- Can say the alphabet (rote memory)
- Identify likeness/difference
- Beginning reading skills two-three letter words
- Recognizes opposite words (hot/cold)
- Understands positional orientation words (top/bottom)
- Recognizes beginning word sound
- Put on and take off own coat
- Can Dress self
- Puts on shoes
- Pour from a pitcher
- Helps to clean up messes
- Helps put things away
- Follows daily routine without prompting
- Easily follows 2-3 step directions
- Sit in a group for 15 minutes
- Completes tasks
- Demonstrate knowledge of self
- Identifies self by first and last name
- States Age, beginning to share birthdate
- Identifies self by gender
- Feels good about self
- Names familiar people and places
- Value his/her belongings and names them
- Identify and names feelings
- Name 6 body parts
- Identify ways people are alike and different
- Shows Curiosity and interest in surroundings
- Desire to learn more about the world around them
- Discriminates between different textures, smells, tastes and sounds
- Demonstrate control of aggressive behavior
- Understanding of GOD
- He loves them unconditionally
- He cares for them
- GOD wrote the Bible to teach us
- GOD never changes
- GOD is perfect and all knowing
- GOD sent his son, Jesus, for them, as their Savior
- We can show GOD our LOVE by
- Worshipping Him by
- Praying to Him
- Singing to Him
- Obeying Him
- Being Kind to Others
- Being Gentle with our Friends
- Following His ways
- Learn and recite weekly Bible Verses
What Parents Say
We have been continually impressed and grateful for the time our family has spent at Stepping Stones Preschool. Ethan, our thoughtful and reserved oldest child, has grown so much in confidence, while Alice, with her outgoing and social personality, has also flourished thanks to the nurturing and supportive environment the teachers provide to each individual child.
We’re especially thankful for the strong Spiritual and Academic framework they offer. Biblical values are woven naturally into each day, alongside thoughtful learning that helps our children grow in ways we could never do on our own. Partnering with a preschool that reinforces the foundation we hope to build for our family has meant more than we can say. We absolutely love Stepping Stones!
Thank you for all that you do to make this such a wonderful place for our children.
When my family moved to Gig Harbor from Seattle and needed to find a new preschool, Stepping Stones came highly recommended by family and friends. We were warmly welcomed by the teachers and fellow parents, making us feel at home in a new place.
We quickly fell in love with Stepping Stones because of the community and the emphasis on providing a Christ centered education for the kids. Throughout our years at the school, our daughters have enjoyed playful and creative classrooms, the necessary structure and organization to feel safe, and a sense of being truly known and loved by their teachers. As a parent, the hope is for your child to be seen and enjoyed for their unique gifts and abilities, and this has been true with every teacher we have had at the school. The staff is eager to know each family and support them in making preschool a successful and positive experience for the kids, preparing them for kindergarten and beyond.
When my 4 year old broke her leg and was non weight bearing for several weeks, I assumed continuing school was out of the question. But Miss Sarah stepped up in a big way! She accommodated for our daughters injury and found creative ways to make it possible for her to attend school while healing from the broken leg. This included carrying her at times, using a stroller to get around campus, and providing activities on the playground when she couldn't run around!! Her graciousness and flexibility blew us away, making us feel that much more seen and loved by our sweet school.
As we look ahead to sending our youngest to Stepping Stones next year, I know I will be sad to drop him off on the first day, but also confident knowing he will be in the best place to learn to love Jesus, friends, his teacher, and the process of learning!
~ Mali Hawkins
Stepping Stones Preschool is a place where children are deeply valued, intentionally taught the love of God, and undoubtedly prepared for kindergarten. From the moment you walk through the doors, there is a sense of warmth, safety, and purpose. The teachers genuinely know and care for each child, creating a classroom where students feel secure, confident, and excited to learn.
What makes Stepping Stones especially remarkable is the dedication of its teachers and staff. They are both structured and gracious. There is clear communication, thorough lesson planning, creative projects, and meaningful friendships. Students are nurtured spiritually alongside their academic growth. Parents can trust that their children are not only learning letters and numbers, but also biblical values, kindness, and responsibility.
Stepping Stones was more than a preschool—it became a meaningful part of our daughter’s journey. The relationships built, the confidence gained, and the love for learning has been invaluable. We are incredibly grateful for the role Stepping Stones has played in our daughter’s life and wholeheartedly recommend it to any family seeking a nurturing, faith-filled, and academically strong preschool experience. ~ The Eichenberg Family