Math: This includes sorting and counting, one-to-one correspondence, measuring, comparing, seriating, and reasoning.
Oral and Written Language: Reading books that contain stories with important life lessons, repetition in songs, rhymes, and finger plays all increase vocabulary and help improve pronunciation of words. When a child is able to retell a story or event, they demonstrate their level of comprehension and memory.
Music: Our daily music time includes using musical instruments, singing songs, and listening to, appreciating, and learning about various kinds of music.
Art: “Scribble” is early writing in toddlers and younger preschoolers. There are levels of scribble involving dots, lines, and circles. Drawing shapes leads to recognizable objects such as houses, rainbows, etc. With practice at our preschool, the children’s improved control enables them to then write letters and numbers.
Science: Cause and effect, classification, logical reasoning, and seriation all learned from the materials in our carefully-planned learning environment. We hope to instill an appreciation of nature by exposing them to natural elements such as seashells, rocks, leaves, pinecones, and many other things. The children are perceiving height and speed of objects when throwing an object. Building with blocks and cooking are also frequently included in our curriculum because they teach science concepts to children.
Active Movement: Physical growth occurs at a rapid rate in young children. Large motor development involves getting the whole body running, skipping, jumping, hopping, climbing, throwing, catching, and kicking a ball, walking backwards, riding a trike/bike, balancing oneself and objects. Our movement program promotes active healthy bodies and minds.
Small Motor Skills: Involve manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination. Their little hand muscles are strengthened by drawing, manipulating playdough, painting, using pegboards, constructing with Legos and other small manipulative materials, and doing puzzles. This is excellent preparation for handwriting and computer keyboarding. Dexterity is developed by using child-sized scissors and doing finger plays.
Social-emotional: Young children are still at the beginning stages of their formation of character and personality. Our open-ended opportunities lead to success which promotes a healthy self image. We use positive words and avoid creating a “no” environment. We talk with them about their families and cultures that help them identify who they are with pride. We know that expressing emotions in socially appropriate ways takes practice. Self control is important as well as positive interactions with peers. Children need to learn to anticipate the consequences of their physical actions. We understand that they are moving away from egocentrism only in the beginning stages of understanding others feelings.
Creativity and imagination: Are enhanced through pretend play using cars and trucks, dolls and puppets, dress-up clothes, house props and other materials.
Self-help: Our two-year olds and preschoolers are taught to and practice daily how to put on their own shoes, eat family style meals involving pouring drinks, scoop food onto plates, and cleaning spills. There are few things as powerful as a young child saying, “I can do it myself.” We are here to support that pride, not squelch it.
Assessment: An important tool used for monitoring the children’s progress our program’s goals.