Curricular
Activities - All Groups
Children learn best when they are actively
involved in hands-on experiences with materials they can
manipulate, and when these activities are valued more for
the process than for an end product. While playing, children
can experiment with objects, ideas, and fears. Since there
is no right or wrong way to play, they cannot fail, and
therefore, they are freer to take risks and be adventurous.
Our program is designed to encourage a balance of child-initiated
and teacher- facilitated activities. Ongoing daily play
activities in our program include:
OUTDOORS: Interacting with their peers in a different space
creates new challenges for children. Running, climbing,
riding, swinging are all activities which exercise large
muscles, as well as develop first-hand concepts of space,
(over, under, around, through, behind, etc.).
Those who have difficulty with small motor activities may
gain much needed feeling of competence and self-confidence
on the playground.
BLOCKS: No material is as versatile and valuable as a set
of solid, well fashioned unit blocks. Usable by toddlers
as well as 2nd graders, blocks offer innumerable opportunities
for development of language, creativity, fine motor skills,
social skills, and concepts critical to math readiness.
The block builder of today may be the architect of tomorrow!
DRAMATIC PLAY: When children assume adult roles in pretend
play, they experiment with what they have witnessed as well
as what they fantasize. In symbolic play they try to make
sense of the world around them. Engaging in cooperative,
socio-dramatic play requires the ability to understand how
others feel, and signals the beginning of empathy. Play
affords children a risk-free opportunity to practice newly
learned words and ideas, as well as imagine what it feels
like to be a doctor, mommy, daddy, storekeeper, etc., and
which behaviors are appropriate in various situations.
ART: The goals of art activities, including decision making,
self expression, and feelings of satisfaction can only be
met in classrooms where children are not required to follow
a teacher’s model, and process is valued more than
finished products. Each class has a daily age-appropriate
art activity. The children are exposed to a variety of materials
and techniques: paint, chalk, markers, crayons, glue, glitter,
collage, printing, marble painting, clay, play dough, etc.
TABLE TOP MANIPULATIVES: These carefully planned table
toys, strengthen eye-hand coordination, visual literacy,
memory skills, color and shape recognition, matching skills,
perceptual skills, listening skills and taking turns. These
attractive manipulatives are a perfect medium for the creative
mind. Watch how your children put things together, devise
new structures, and chatter away with each other while busily
involved.
BOOKS AND STORY TIME: Each classroom has a large selection
of books, carefully selected and up-to-date for young children.
Each day, our children delight in hearing childhood classics,
poetry selections and factual information.
MUSIC: Singing, rhythm activities and body movement are
a regular part of each day. In addition, our music teacher
works in conjunction with each class using the guitar, Orff
instruments and her own melodious singing voice to enhance
the curriculum.
We want to reassure you that “just playing”
is extremely valuable for young children, especially when
materials and equipment are thoughtfully chosen and activities
are well supervised.
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