The preschool curriculum at Jack & Jill emerges from the principles of developmentally appropriate practice in which children learn as they interact with each other, adults and the environment. We follow the preschool learning sequence of the Core Knowledge® Foundation which moves from the child’s current abilities toward developing skills and ways of thinking that will lay the base for future learning. We also incorporate principals from Color Me Healthy and Handwriting Without Tears®. is our writing program. Interactions with other children and adults give us an opportunity to guide social development and conflict resolution.
3-4 year olds:
Preschoolers learn
- to experience a sense of self-esteem
- to exhibit a positive attitude toward life
- to demonstrate cooperative behavior
- to acquire learning and problem solving skills
- to expand logical thinking skills
- to acquire a fuller understanding of their world
- to demonstrate skills in make-believe play
- to expand verbal communications skills
- to develop beginning reading skills
- to acquire beginning writing skills
- to enhance and refine fine motor skills
- to use all senses in learning
Our rich classroom environment and developmentally appropriate experiences allow children to learn as they develop self confidence and establish friendships. Children are encouraged to explore all aspects of the classroom ~ growing and learning with both repetitive and new experiences.
- Emphasis is placed on social interaction and emotional growth. Children learn to follow directions and take turns. They are given lots of opportunities to make decisions and encouraged to make good choices.
- Circle Times help children learn how to function in a group setting ~ that there is a time to talk and a time to listen, how to share their ideas, and how to learn from each other.
- Large group, small group, and individual activities provide a variety of experiences to enhance growth and development in all areas
- Daily language and literacy experiences support growth in language development and vocabulary.
- Children are introduced to letters and sounds. They learn there are different letters of the alphabet, they each have a different shape and make different sounds, and when you put them together in different ways, they form words.
- Math skills are developed with hands-on experiences, as children work on counting, sorting, comparing, classifying, and measuring.
- Fine motor skills are strengthened through the use of manipulatives, play dough, creative table play, sensory tub materials, and a variety of art experiences.
- Art is enjoyed as children are exposed to both teacher directed projects and independent exploration of art materials.
- Special daily and weekly themes or seasonal activities provide variety and excitement.
- Individual Portfolios and Assessments collect each child’s work and monitor progress.
