Curriculum

    I use fun weekly themes as a framework for structuring our preschool curriculum.  Past topics include ants, butterflies, cows, ducks, elephants, fish, and gardening.  I believe learning best occurs when people are happy and their interest is high.  While each day's plan includes science activities, art projects, and story time, I monitor the children's level of engagement and make adjustments as appropriate.  It is my goal to help children develop social skills, emotional health, and a basic understanding of the world that will prepare them for whatever educational paths they take in the future.  More specifically, I address the following, through both planned activities and casual, spontaneous interactions:

Social Skills

-Respect & manners, including turn taking & sharing

-Developing relationships

-Cooperation/Teamwork

-Responsibility

-Unstructured, imaginative play

-Listening skills

 

Emotional Health 

-Perseverance

-Confidence

-Self-regulation

-Positive attitude

-Problem solving skills

 

Literacy

-Listening to stories and asking questions

-Practice drawing/writing with a variety of tools: crayons, fingers, pencils, paintbrushes, chalk, sticks, etc

-Retelling stories

-Songs & rhymes

-Alphabet, including letter recognition and sounds

-Sequencing

-Recognizing and spelling own name

 

Early Math/Cognitive Skills

-Colors

-Shapes

-Sizes

-Counting

-Number recognition

-Patterns

-Time

-Construction including blocks, legos, sticks, wood, etc

 

Science

-Nature studies including plants and animals

-Experiments

-Comparing & classifying

-Basic nutrition

-Our bodies

 

Creativity

-Arts & Crafts using a variety of methods and materials including collage, paint, clay/playdough, etc

-Open ended materials

-Music: singing, dancing, rhythm instruments

 

Motor Skills & Sensory Experiences

-Fine: Stringing, cutting, pasting, pinching,

-Gross: Climbing, jumping, running, balancing, throwing, kicking

-Sensory: Exploring a variety of textures and consistencies