The Early Childhood program at Central Arkansas Christian is built on the foundational belief that each child is a wonderfully unique creation of God. It’s our stance that this fundamental belief should be the basis for our relationship with God and others. Our goal is to partner with each child’s family and church community to fulfill our God-given responsibility to help our children love God with all their “heart, soul, strength and mind” and to lay the foundation for a purpose-driven life of service to God and others.

We believe the most effective way to communicate God’s love is by the way we treat our students and each other. As a result, we are committed to supporting an atmosphere of pervasive caring that permeates everything we do, so that our students know we care.

Below, you’ll find some key points about our Early Childhood program and why we believe in this approach for our preschool-aged children. CAC has Early Childhood campuses in West Little Rock (Pleasant Valley Campus) and our new North Little Rock Elementary campus at 6101 JFK Blvd. Contact Chad Tappe, director of admissions, to learn more or to set up a campus tour!

In CAC’s Early Childhood program, parents will observe:

1) A developmentally appropriate and challenging curriculum that prepares each child for the formal school setting

Educational research indicates that preschool-aged children are in the “pre-operational stage” of learning – needing to learn from actual objects. Thus, these children are on the threshold of the “concrete operational” stage – being able to learn from symbols and signs, which is the skill base needed for reading, writing and arithmetic. Consequently, our program is designed to provide learning opportunities through play, experience and individual teacher/student interaction.

From each child’s entry in CAC, we provide a literacy rich environment. Emphasis is placed on expressive and receptive language skills. We introduce the highly effective Saxon Phonics program into our preschool curriculum to help students develop the phonological awareness and word skills necessary for learning to read, and the equally effective Saxon Math program, which relies heavily on hands-on learning and the use of objects to teach basic math concepts. We are constantly looking for more effective ways to prepare our students’ participation in the formal school setting, while nurturing each child’s inherent desire and love of learning.

2) A dedicated and qualified faculty and staff

Unlike many Early Childhood programs, the majority of our teachers at CAC are degreed and certified, with many having advanced degrees. All of our staff participates in continuing education activities to better understand and serve our students. Most importantly, all of our teachers are committed to God and children. They view their teaching as a ministry, not a job.

3) Learning-appropriate facilities

CAC partners with local churches to provide our Early Childhood facilities. This allows us to enjoy an outstanding environment at a fraction of the cost required to provide similar facilities independently.

4) The best Early Childhood value in Central Arkansas

CAC is committed to providing a Christian educational experience to families who wish to partner with us in their child’s growth. Our program is less expensive by design and is made possible by our partnership with local churches, sacrifices from our faculty and staff and the generosity of many who believe that Christian education makes a difference in the lives of our children and families, our local community and great nation.