Preschool Program

The Preschool Program is designed for 3-5 year old children. The spacious classroom allows the children to explore and discover the environment on their own schedule. Children in this environment are ready for Kindergarten when they graduate from our program.

There are many content areas in this classroom:

Arts Area: Materials in this area include crayons, markers, stamp pads, colored pencils, many different textures of paper, paint, play dough, fabrics, yarn, scissors, etc. Children are encouraged to express themselves creatively rather than produce a final product. We believe that the process of learning is more critical than the product that is created.

Dramatic Play: Children learn how to interact with other children when they pretend play in the dramatic area. Costumes, food/dishes, dolls and doll clothes, mirrors, puppets, and playing store are all a part of the dramatic area. Children are learning social skills and sharing in this area.

Science and Math: These areas are used for a deeper exploration of the children’s environment. Through experiments, books, charts, plants and animals, magnets, magnifying glasses, and live habitats the children are learning first-hand how to interact in the world of nature and discovery. The math area includes shape recognition, object matching, counting objects, categorizing and sorting, puzzles, blocks, beads and much more.

Sensory, Reading, Writing, and Language: Children build their sensory skills by tasting, touching, seeing, hearing, and smelling. Many activities are designed to encourage children to explore all of their senses in our Preschool program. Water and sand play are also an integral part of the sensory experience. Children read books daily and are encouraged to write often throughout the day. Our language program is geared to encourage children to build their vocabulary by listening to books, singing music, and poetry as well as conversations about their lives and the lives of other people.

Social and Emotional Development: As children become preschoolers ,their social and emotional skills need the guidance of nurturing teachers. Children all need to feel supported and understood. Each child is respected and valued at each stage of development. Conversations, parallel and cooperative play are reinforced by positive responses from staff. Children develop lasting friendships through play and through working together.

Music and Movement: Children sing familiar and new songs every day. They dance and move to music frequently. There are musical instruments for the children to play as well as scarves, hula hoops and a listening center all geared to provide each child a well-rounded approach to music.

Group Activities: Circle time, reading, art, music, finger plays, taking walks, and listening to a book on tape are all examples of group activities. The children are learning social skills as well as taking turns, cooperative actions, empathy, and cognitive development. Children learn many things just by watching others work and play. The Preschool program curriculum is apparent in every content area in the classroom.