Program Guide

ART

Objectives

The purpose of our art center is to provide an environment which is rich in opportunities for self-expression. Children give expression to their ideas by using crayons, paper, markers, paints, clay and wood. While working with these materials, children also develop muscular control.

Skills                                           

• to help the child see the world around him

• to help the child express his feelings

• to help the child organize his ideas

• to give him experiences with many kinds of materials

• to develop muscular control

• to understand colors, sizes and shapes

Activities

• painting with tempura -brush, block, finger, sponges, etc.

• modeling with clay and other media

• pasting and gluing

• construction projects

• creating collages

• crayons, markers

• block building

• sketching

• tracing

• cutting

• sculpture designing (paper, toothpicks, wood, etc.)

• working with media from nature

Language Arts

Objectives

Language functions in every area of a child's experience and is closely related to his total development. Language is necessary for the young child to function effectively in school and in the community. It will also aid the child in the development of his thought processes. Listening and speaking are important parts of the language arts program. The child makes known his needs and feelings through speech. He listens to receive and interpret communications from the people around him. As the child matures, he begins to recognize that the written word is also an effec­tive form of communication. A child needs to be given the opportunity to interact verbally with adults and peers. This will increase listening and speaking and the ability to read and write. A stimulating environment is essential for good language development. The teacher provides this, giving time and opportunity for the children to participate in many activities, to experiment and explore, to express themselves through varied media and to develop an awareness and concern for each other. The teacher develops growth in the communicative skills by building upon the day-to­day experiences of the child.

Skills

• to develop communication skills

• to develop perceptual skills

• to increase vocabulary

• to learn about books

• to develop organizational skills

• to develop listening skills

• to learn to follow directions

• to increase attention span

• to develop letter-sound relationships --- pre-reading skills

• to develop motor skills

Activities               

• setting words to music                                        

• library center

• reading readiness activities

• dramatizations of stories

• felt boards

• interpreting picture stories

• alphabet - letter sound sorting activities

Math 

Objectives

Mathematics is more than a simple study of abstract symbols, it is a search for patterns and relationships, for understanding order in the world. It provides a means of classifying objects in the environment into manageable units. At the nursery school level, it is not necessary to hurry a child into symbolic representations of numbers. Creative approaches and flexibility in instruction are desirable. Through extensive use of concrete materials, especially manipulatory devices for individual uses, teachers can offer variety to children in the ways in which they can achieve new mathematical insights.

Skills

• to develop an understanding of number concepts

• to provide practice in recognizing sets

• to help children understand that a number can be represented by a specific numeral

• to recognize that position is described by ordinal numbers such as first and second

• to help children strengthen their understanding of the concept of counting

• to develop the concept of comparison and contrast

• to recognize geometric shapes

• to understand sets

• to recognize inequalities

• use of the calendar

• to develop measurement skills

• to increase vocabulary

Activities

• table games (dominoes, counting rods, blocks, pegboards, puzzles, etc)

• felt boards with numbers and objects

• one to one matching

• musical number song

• counting

• discussion of calendar daily

• working with shapes

• matching objects, matching sets, number books

• math games and finger plays

• cooking and measurement

Music

Objectives

Musical activities in the nursery school help develop the child's appreciation of sound, volume and temporal discrimination as well as develop muscular coordination. Music is an enjoyable experience for children and fosters concepts of cooperative participation. Through body movements, dramatizations, songs, records, tapes, CD's and musical instruments the chil­dren develop a sensitivity to and an interest in many things around them. The ability to listen will naturally follow.

Skills

• to develop body movements                                                                       

• to explore space

• to dramatize through movement

• to learn to sing songs and to appreciate music

• to use instruments

• to listen to records, tapes and CDs

• to develop rhythm and beat

Activities

• singing

• free movement to music

• organized and free use of rhythm instruments

• dancing

• listening to records, tapes and CDs

• acting out stories

• singing stories

• action songs

• clapping, stamping, jumping, running. etc.

Science 

Objectives

Science is everywhere. Children with their natural interest and curiosity begin at an early age to question happenings in their environment. Science activities on a nursery school level build a foundation for later scientific endeavors. These experiences help children develop a sensitivity to the environment and to develop an ability to pose questions about the environment. The school feels the responsibility to guide the child through the scientific method of solving problems by observing, inferring, classifying, communicating and drawing conclusions.

Skills

• to develop a basic understanding of plants, animals and the earth

• development of the senses

• development of the mechanical processes

• to understand birth and growth

• to understand measurement

• to understand weather

• experimenting to find reasons

• conservation

Activities

• blocks (concepts of shape, weight, space, balance and support)

• art (mixing colors, adding water, etc.)

• music (sounds and how they are made)

• water table (measuring, floating, sinking, solid, liquid)

• cooking and mixing (noticing simple chemical changes)

• science table (magnets, color paddles, nature)

• outdoor play (insects, weather, collecting, growing, sounds and equipment)

• field trips (pond, farm, museum)

• mechanical equipment (clocks, magnets, locks, bells, tools, pulleys)

• planting seeds (learning about texture, shape, temperature and weight)

• visiting animals

Social Studies 

Objectives

Social Studies is a program of citizenship education. It gives the child an opportunity to gain basic understandings, acquire necessary skills and develop desirable attitudes needed for effective citizenship in a democratic society. Our program is designed to help children understand and carry on basic human activities. The children should have opportunities to develop social skills, such as learning to live in a group, resolving conflicts, following rules, and getting along with others. The child's social learning should be related to his own experiences with people, animals and other objects. It is important that a child learn to live away from familiar surroundings of his home and interact properly with his peers and adults. The social studies curriculum is based on the experiences a child brings with him to school and also the attitude of the child.

Units of Study                                               

September                  All About Me

October                    Community helpers and Fall  

November                Thanksgiving, Native Americans

December                Winter holidays and Winter, Food

January                    Transportation and Safety

February                   America,  Pet Unit,  the  World's Children

March                       Animals Around the World, Spring, Rainforest

April                         Farm, Spring, Solar System

May                          Planting, Science and Nature, Dinosaurs

June                         Sea Life

Skills

• to develop a good self image

• to develop an understanding of the relationship between the child and his family and the child and his community

• to learn about transportation

• to learn about different people and places

Activities

• teacher directed instruction

• library center

• field trips

• visiting community helpers (firefighters, etc.)

• socialization activities (housekeeping, blocks, puppet theatre)