Curriculum
Because we believe children learn through many means and modalities, we offer a variety of activities that meet children's needs and challenge their abilities. Our staff may approach curriculum by webbing balancing all curricular areas (such as language development), and/or by working with skills. Because every class, group, and child is unique and has different needs at different levels, our staff individualizes by matching abilities to skills that Preschoolers need which are appropriate for their age and which form the basis for later learning and school success.
CURRICULUM AND LIFE SKILLS
Your child is offered a balanced curriculum, which allows him to grow and be challenged while we "build" on current strengths. Specified below are lists of skills for Preschool-aged children, which are appropriate from the time they BEGIN Preschool until they enter Kindergarten. They are "labeled" within curricular areas for YOU - the parent. The teacher's lesson plans will give you the information you need to stay connected with the skills your child is learning in Preschool. Skills will be introduced, expanded upon, and balanced so that weaker areas are strengthened and strong areas are tempered. In this way, your child will be comfortable in all areas of his development as he continues to learn and grow.
LARGE MOTOR includes: running, climbing, jumping, dancing, throwing and catching a ball, kicking a ball, lateral movements, rounding obstacles and following an obstacle course, changing directions while moving, imitating animals, riding a bike/trike, hopping, transferring weight from side to side, walking a balance beam, developing aim, identifying personal space, alternating feet while using stairs, starting and stopping while in motion, moving smoothly through space, problem-solving spatial relationships, using positional terms, beginning to work in organized games.
SMALL MOTOR includes: building and stacking, molding with dough, sorting, stringing, finger painting, hole punching, squeezing (eye droppers), painting, completing a puzzle, pouring, folding paper, dressing, coloring/drawing/copying, snipping/cutting, finding a comfortable grip on writing instruments, using open media with confidence, using instruments with control.
MATH SKILLS include matching objects, sorting and classifying by attribute, pairing objects, comparing objects, sequencing objects, using comparative terms such as long/longer/longest, patterning objects, equalizing sets, counting objects, measuring objects, using positional words, labeling numerals (0-10), More advanced skills may include: exploring conservation of size/length/volume/number, relating part to whole, graphing, estimating, identifying/labeling shapes and numerals, ordering (less/more).
SCIENCE SKILLS include observing, identifying body parts, animals, five senses, color shades, mixing colors, comparing, classifying, estimating amounts, discriminating tactilely, categorizing animals, differentiating between senses, differentiating weights, participating in cooking activities, predicting outcomes, becoming aware of natural resources, becoming aware of land forms.
MUSIC SKILLS include copying movements for finger-plays, short term recall of class song lyrics, creating with rhythm instruments, moving physically to music, matching/differentiating tempos, identifying opposites (loud/soft), matching/differentiating rhythms, singing for enjoyment, dancing and using creative movement, experimenting with instruments, matching/sorting tones (high/low), developing ear-eye coordination, identifying instruments by shape, listening for enjoyment, expressing mood through movement, identifying instruments by name, patterning sounds.
ART EXPERIENCES include painting, cutting, gluing, pasting, tearing, rolling, taping, stamping (printing), molding (three-dimensionally), rubbing, mixing colors. As well as utilizing materials towards skill development, art experiences are a necessary part of your child's learning curriculum.
SOCIAL STUDIES includes developing self-awareness, identifying means of travel, developing "other" awareness, learning the meaning of community, learning not to litter, exposure to conservation awareness.
LANGUAGE and PRE-READING includes listening skills, "reading" facial expressions, dramatic play, recalling story events, following verbal directions, discriminating figure/ground, left-to-right sequencing, utilizing language to form questions, cooking experiences, labeling items by attribute (shape/size/color), sequencing events in order, identifying/copying patterns, visual discrimination, labeling objects, labeling actions, matching letters, labeling letters, discriminating between letters, understanding opposites, tracking objects, developing auditory discrimination, writing through drawing and copying, identifying rhyming words, developing a letter-sound relationship, matching letter to sound.
LIFE SKILLS - Life skills is a part of the “Curriculum" of learning experiences offered within a classroom setting. It is an INTEGRAL part of your child's school success. This area is diverse, including naming and associating articles of clothing, learning how to play with toys, using self-help skills for eating and dressing, using coping mechanisms, realizing safe and unsafe environments, using positive manners in both words and attitudes, learning how to follow directions, learning to work alone, learning to take turns, using listening and talking as communication skills, learning to clean up, learning to line up, learning to work with adults (other than parents), lengthening attention span, learning to work with peers, comprehending as well as following safety rules, learning to problem solve through verbal means instead of using physical force (such as grabbing a toy, hitting, or walking away), learning to BOTH initiate and finish a task. Learning to become a productive group member, learning to problem-solve, remembering rules, and developing an understanding of cause/effect.
