Free programs for the youngest members of our community at English Oaks.
Little Lions is a free Saturday morning program for children ages 4–6 at the English Oaks apartment community in Stone Mountain. Every Saturday, kids work on letters, numbers, colors, and shapes — the building blocks for starting school. They sing, make things, play outside, and sit in circle time with their classmates. By the end of the year, they know more than when they started, and they’re more comfortable in a classroom setting than they were before.
Little Lions is open to any family in the area. We’re currently running at English Oaks — if you’re nearby, your child is welcome. No application, no income check, no waitlist.
Kids who speak little or no English are exactly who this program is built for. Many of our families speak Dari, Pashto, Arabic, or other languages at home — that’s normal here.
Parents can drop kids off and come back at 1 PM, or stay for the whole session. Either is completely fine.
All 26 letters of the alphabet, introduced gradually across the year. Kids learn letter names, letter sounds, and how to recognize them on sight. By the end of the year most kids can write their own first name and recognize at least 20 uppercase letters.
Counting out loud to 20, recognizing written numbers 0 through 10, and counting physical objects one by one. Kids also start to understand “more” and “less” — the beginning of real math thinking.
All 10 basic colors and 6 shapes. Kids learn to sort and match — not just name. Shape collages, paint mixing, and hands-on sorting activities make sure the knowledge sticks.
Sitting in circle, taking turns, sharing materials, lining up, cleaning up with everyone else. For many of our kids, Little Lions is their first group learning experience. These habits matter as much as the academics.
Kids this age do better when the day is predictable. Same shape every week — what changes is what they’re learning.
Doors open. Kids arrive, hang up their bags, and play with blocks, soft toys, and books at low tables. Volunteers greet each child by name.
Everyone gathers on the rug. Hello song. Calendar — day and weather. Letter of the day, number of the day, color of the day. Short story.
Hands-on activities — flashcards, sorting games, matching. Kids work at their level.
Whole-group craft tied to the day’s lesson. Kids stay at tables. Volunteers help with scissors and glue. Every child’s work goes home with them.
Outdoor games and running in the courtyard when weather allows. Indoor backup: dancing, parachute games, freeze tag.
Back to the rug. Recap the letter, number, and color of the day. Goodbye song. Preview of next Saturday.
Light halal snack — juice, fruit, granola. Parents arrive. Every child leaves with their craft.
Four quarters. Each one builds on the last.
Kids meet A through M, learn their sounds, and practice writing their own name. The quarter ends with the first Family Showcase — kids sing the alphabet for their parents.
Letters N through Z are introduced, and numbers become the focus. By the end of this quarter kids have met every letter, can count to 20, and recognize written numbers 0–10.
Colors and shapes take over. Kids sort by color and shape, mix paint, and make shape collages — while letters and numbers stay in circle time every week so the recognition keeps building.
The final quarter pulls everything together. Kids who are ready start sounding out simple words. The final session is Graduation Day — every child who attended receives a certificate.
Once per quarter, a community helper comes to English Oaks. Kids meet them, see their vehicle, ask questions, and take a photo. The four visits across the year: a firefighter with a fire truck, a police officer with a patrol car, a paramedic with an ambulance, and a postal worker with a mail truck. These are some of the most memorable Saturdays of the year.
Four times a year — at the end of each quarter — Little Lions holds a Family Showcase. Kids stand up in a group and show their parents what they’ve learned: singing the alphabet, counting to 20, naming colors and shapes. Light food is served. It’s informal and warm — not a performance, just a chance for families to see their child doing something they couldn’t do three months ago.
The final Saturday of the year is Graduation Day. Families are invited, the room is set up, and every child who attended the program walks up, shakes Naheeda’s hand, receives a printed certificate with their name on it, and stands for a photo. There is no pass/fail — every kid graduates. It’s the biggest day of the year.
Little Lions is free and open to families at English Oaks. To get your child started, reach out to DPS — we’ll get you registered before the next Saturday.
Contact Us →Or call us at (678) 813-6817 · support@dpsga.org
DPS runs children’s programming across multiple communities in DeKalb County. More locations and sessions coming soon — contact us to stay in the loop.
