PRESCHOOL
Preschool consists of up to 20 children from 3 - 4 years of age, who are potty trained (or well on their way). In this room we have one teacher for every ten children.
In preschool, we continue with each child’s individual "folder" by building on their abilities and readiness to learn and we truly begin to see the benefits of the OOAK curriculum. Each child has a folder with age appropriate skills to assess in the following areas of development: gross motor, fine motor, language, safety, handwriting, numbers, independence, social skills, concepts, and reading. We realize that each child is different and therefore masters skills at different times. Our folders assist teachers in identifying what skills a child has mastered and what activities would be appropriate to offer throughout the day so that the child’s experiences enable him/her to grow and learn. Folders are done throughout the day at various times and involve one on one interaction between teacher and child. Your child’s progress will be recorded and updates will be sent home periodically. If you have questions about how your child is doing, please ask.
We believe children do best when the environment and expectations are consistent. In preschool we primarily use positive reinforcement. We provide reinforcement for appropriate behaviors in an effort to prevent not so desirable behaviors. In the event a child is not "being a good listener" or "being a nice friend," he/she will be prompted to change the behavior or will be redirected. Stop and think time may be used in extreme circumstances.
The children take their daily naps from 1:00pm - 3:00pm on mats and sheets that we provide. While we realize that some children may not sleep the entire time, we do require each child to lie quietly and rest for 20 minutes. After this time, we will allow the children who are still awake the option to participate in a quite activity on his/her mat. These activities include reading books, coloring pictures or doing puzzles. Each child has a cubby in which you will keep two pairs of extra clothing, shoes, etc...
The children eat from the center's menu (available in each month's newsletter) with the philosophy of family style dining and we encourage the use of good table manners.
