Life Skills – We are preparing children to be successful and happy people.  We guide children to a healthy self- image, loving and respectful relationships with others, and a responsible attitude toward their environment.  We incorporate life skills such as manners, etiquette, and self –help daily.  We focus on hand on learning experiences using exploration and discovery with age appropriate educational materials.

Language Arts – We teach a letter sound each week in alphabetical order.  Each sound is taught in an enjoyable and multisensory way.  We do extensive work with phonemic awareness using songs, identifying and practicing rhyming words and recognizing sound in words.  Our classrooms are print rich environments and children are read to daily.  We introduce the children to a wide range of children’s literature during our daily story times.  The letter sound becomes the basis for the planning of each week’s science, social studies, art, music, and other activities.

Handwriting –The focus is on developing hand strength and fine motor skills as well as gaining a good pencil grip.  We help children with developing their body awareness and forming good habits.  Coloring, drawing and interest driven endeavors in handwriting are provided.  Children are encouraged to write their own names to start.  Children are encouraged, supported and provided opportunities to increase their writing skills.

Mathematics –We work with concepts such as shapes, patterns, calendar skills, relational concepts, numeral recognition, sorting and graphing.  Mathematic practice can be introduced into any interest area and our teachers are encouraging children to count, sort, and sequence daily.

Science – Our science experiences are hands on.  The children are provided many opportunities throughout the year that excite them and spike their natural curiosity.  Included are planting seeds, watching the metamorphosis of a butterfly, studying the five senses, observing the weather and changing of seasons.  We also incorporate many simple science experiments using water, lenses, and magnets to name a few.

Social Studies– We begin the year learning about ourselves, our families and friends, and our community.  We introduce children to different countries, cultures, traditions and honor the diversity in each of our classrooms.

Outdoor Play – We take the children outdoors daily (weather permitting).  Outdoor play is essential to our health and gross motor development and is an outlet for children to run, jump, climb and be free.  If we are unable to go outdoors due to the weather, we have an indoor play space for the children.

Choice Time/Free Play –This time is critical to their social emotional development. Choice time/free play provides an environment for children to develop positive relationships with peers, work on problem solving skills, encourages creativity and improves communication, vocabulary, and language as well as promoting self regulation skills.