At this stage of development, children tend to be egocentric and find it challenging to think in abstract ways. Feelings and relationships are abstract, and our teachers create an environment that offers varied concrete and visual opportunities for the children to see and learn about emotions. This supports recognizing emotions in themselves and others. Our teachers will provide a balance of both support and encouraging independence to build confidence in problem solving and building relationships. The Kindness Curriculum continues in PreK, further building on respect, kindness, empathy, and self control.

Four and five year olds are typically walking and running well by this stage, however learning balance, practicing their coordination, and further developing their physical awareness is essential. Our teachers will be seen using games, personal space activities, and fine and gross motor activities to help the children harness their energy and build on their physical abilities.

At this stage of development children continue to question the world around them. Our teachers build on this curiosity by encouraging communication through spoken language. This builds on the children’s confidence and ability to relay information and ask questions to others. The observations, inquiries, and interactions the children experience give them opportunities for finding new interests and understanding new concepts. Our teachers enrich their classrooms with picture/text combinations which develops their reading and writing skills. Playing games using words, letters, and sounds promotes a love for language and makes reading and writing fun.

PreK children are still mastering their skills of staying focused for long periods of time. Our classrooms encourage routines and predictability so they can relate to their environment and build on their confidence and character. Children’s natural curiosity is built upon by encouraging investigation through touching, using objects, and exploring their functions. Role playing is a great way for them to relate to the real world but also understand their surroundings. Our classrooms are set up to encourage play and socialization so the children can bring daily routines such as reading, experimenting, cooking, and creating to life. This also helps the children build their relationships with friends and develop problem solving skills.

Creating environments that are rich in text is the best way for a preschooler to begin to associate their environment with print. Mastering letter sounds and sound combinations supports their growth in being able to independently identify and write letters or words. Children love learning to spell their name at this age! By reading stories over and over again, and expanding on them by asking questions, children work on their comprehension and attention skills. Creating lists, reading books, writing cards, and even playing restaurant are activities you will find in our classrooms to help build on their early reading skills.

Finding new ways to encourage the children to count and problem solve encourages math concepts. It also teaches the many different ways math skills are used throughout the day. Number words are used in everyday conversation, teaching the children different ways to compare. You will find our teachers exploring collections, developing patterns, solving puzzles, and doing sequencing activities. During our Morning Meetings, children will practice their days of the week, months of the year, and even count all of their days in school! With our Spanish Enrichment, our PreK children are even counting up to 20 in Spanish.