The pre-K Balvihar class curriculum is designed to introduce the basic practices of Hinduism to children during the school year prior to starting Kindergarten. The age range for this class is approximately 4-5 years old. The class may be the first that the child has attended without a parent or close relative.
The topics for this class include the following:
Six stotras with meaning
Bhajans
Deities in pictures and moorthis
Important feastivals
Numbers, animals, body parts, colors in Sanskrit
Stories from around the world to illustrate moral values occasionally including stories chosen from Hindu Mythology.
Games and activities to tie together and reinforce all the above concepts
At the end of the school year, it is hoped that the child will be able to know the basic stotras for daily recitation and a few Bhajans including some verses of the arathi. The child should be able to recognize some Deities from pictures and moorthis. They should have a superficial understanding of the deities worshiped during some of the festivals that occur during the school year. It is hoped that the stories will have kindled the natural curiosity in the child to want to explore the great Vedanta truths that they will be taught in later classes.
Their most important learning will be the ability to be comfortable and confident enough to share their thoughts with the class and the sevak/sevikas. They will have acquired basic behaviors expected in class environment such as sharing, taking turns and helping others. They will have learnt to follow simple directions from the sevak/sevika. Most of all they will have grown to enjoy and look forward to the class. The child's learning and enjoyment during the class will have been communicated to the parents making the whole family look forward to Sunday mornings at Balvihar .
