Beginner
Beginner Program (18 months)
(12 months and a confident walker by September 1) The beginner program is about creating a loving, enriching environment that allows young children to thrive. This means learning who each child is and what each needs to feel secure - whether it’s a cozy lap to snuggle in, the freedom to move, toys for pretend play or blocks for building. Each child is different and we provide the specific experience he or she needs to grow.
Our day is filled with art and music. Painting may be with brushes, fingers, or feathers. We switch out the materials frequently in order to expose them to many different sensory experiences. The children think this is just plain fun, but it also allows them hone their fine motor skills.
Everyday, the children gather in a circle and sing songs. In the fall, we may only be able to do one or two songs before they need to get up and move, but by the end of the year they are singing many songs, clapping, playing instruments or waving scarves as they sing. They love their short circle time as an opportunity for the class to come together with joy. And, without any fuss, we’ve laid a foundation for next year's more formal circle time.
Language Development
Most children starting our Beginner or 18-month program are beginning to talk, and by the end of the year, they experience a “language explosion” period. They talk non-stop and practice their new power starting around spring break and through the end of the year.
Studies show that two-way dialogue is the best method for developing language. Our child:teacher ratio is intentionally low to create the time and space for this type of one-on-one interaction. It allows us to follow the child’s interests and encourages them to reveal themselves.
Through these short and frequent conversations, language grows, as well as their curiosity and understanding of the world.
Children in this program develop strong, lasting friendships. This is often their first experience with friendship outside of family and it makes a deep impact. They play together, ask about their classmates when someone is away, care for each other and give each other “hello,” “good-bye,” and “just because” hugs. Throughout the year, they learn the joy of loving (and being loved by) a friend.
Curriculum
Physical Development
Explore balance
Integrate body movement with senses
Name, locate and understand relationships of body parts
Develop strength and endurance
Put on and take off own sweater or coat
Coordinate hand/eye movements
Explore manipulative toys
Strengthen hand grasp and use hands in many positions
Build an understanding of directionality and position in space
Literacy & Language Development
Demonstrate the concept of rhyming
Understand simple sentences
Use newly learned vocabulary
Identify a variety of objects through receptive language
Tell simple personal narratives
Enjoy being read to, and hearing stories
Follow simple directions
Name actual or pictured objects
Attend to story telling
Math
· Assemble simple puzzles
· Match, count, and sort object
Science
· Continually grow in observations of the world around us
· Recognize primary colors
· Begin to understand big and small
· Develop the five senses
Fine Arts
· Create original artwork
· Participate in classroom music activities
· Use language as part of dramatic play
· “Make believe” with objects
· Express feelings through movement
· Reproduce or create sound patterns
Health & Safety
· Practice routine healthy behaviors with use of napkins and hand washing
· Experience healthy foods in all snacks and lunches
Daily Schedule
8:20-9:15
Drop Off / Outdoor play, nature investigation, and science exploration
9:15-9:30
Snack
9:30-10:00
Circle Time: Greeting our friends, wish you well board, calendar, weather, discuss monthly theme
10:00-11:00
Free Choice: Dramatic Play, Construction/Blocks, Creative Arts, Manipulative/Mathematics, Language and Literacy, Multi-Sensory Play
11:00-12:00
Lunch/Healthy Eating Habits
12:00-12:30
Specials (P.E., Music, Godly Play)
12:30-2:30
Half Day Dismissal / Nap Time
2:30-3:00
Afternoon Snack and Chat
3:00-3:20
Afternoon Special (Athletic, Theater)
3:20-3:30
Dismissal / Outdoor play, nature investigation, and science exploration
PROGRAM OPTIONS
3 Days Per Week
Half Day: 8:30-12:30 (morning snack and lunch included)
Full Day: 8:30-3:30 (morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack included)
5 Days Per Week
Half Day: 8:30-12:30 (morning snack and lunch included)
2 Half Days (Monday and Friday) and 3 Full Days (Tuesday-Thursday)
Full Day: 8:30-3:30 (morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack included)
Early care and after care are also options.
Check out our 2 day a week program, KICK START>