PRESCHOOLERS:
BLUE HORSES: age 3-4 years
This classroom introduces a preschool curriculum to children. Preschool is offered each morning. As busy three-year-olds work and play together, they experience many opportunities to grow and develop socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively. They begin to assume more responsibilities in the classroom, enter into group participation, and learn to cooperate with their teachers and peers. The Creative Curriculum is used to plan lessons, to assess children three times a year, and to create goals with are shared with families at conferences. Staff ratio in this classroom is one teacher to every eight children. A third staff may be brought in during morning preschool to help with projects and activities. Meals are served family style so children learn how to pass, scoop, pour, and wait until everyone is served before eating. Naps are taken every afternoon on cots. Large motor time is scheduled daily outside if the weather allows or in the indoor gym. The afternoon schedule includes a mixture of structured and free-play opportunities.
This room offers Preschool every morning. Children are given many opportunities to get ready for Kindergarten. They continue to build on skills they learned in the Blue Horses classroom and fine-tune their small motor, language, cognitive, and social/emotional skills. The Creative Curriculum is also used in this classroom for lesson planning, assessment (three times a year), and goal writing. Children are encouraged to be independent in all areas, ranging from dressing themselves, serving food, and maintaining their cubbies, to solving problems with their peers. Rest time is scheduled every afternoon on a cot for at least one hour. Outside time is offered every day if the weather allows or in our indoor gym. The afternoon schedule includes a mixture of structured time with teachers and free-play opportunities. This classroom has one teacher for every ten children. Additional staff may be brought in during morning preschool to help with projects, activities, and field trips.
