Class Activities
Circle Time
In circle time, children develop language skills by learning songs and finger plays, and practicing the alphabet. They build conversation skills by sharing personal experiences, which bolsters their self-esteem as they learn to be part of a group. They also grow in patience and attention as we read stories together, letting them connect to their imaginations and to the wider world.
Learning Centers
Our classroom and outdoor space are organized into centers to provide a wide array of learning choices for our children.
Centers include:
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a dramatic play area with costumes, kitchen sets, a work bench, and baby dolls with cradles
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a building area with many types of building materials
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a sensory table that rotates through different activities corresponding to our learning units
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a book nook for quiet reading (or pre-reading)
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a center with typewriter and office supplies that can double as a vet office, science lab, or even a hair salon!
Music and Art
Music and art are a vital part of being human, and are tremendously important for young children. We include music in our classes in many ways:
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Learning and singing songs
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Trying out different musical instruments
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Listening to music
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Practicing silence
We include art in our daily routine, as well:
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Painting easels with watercolors, and a drawing table with crayons and colored pencils for free-play time
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Daily art projects.
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An art show in the spring showcasing the children's work!
Foreign Language
Preschoolers are at a perfect age to learn languages. Even if they don't live in a multi-lingual household, young children exposed to phonemes (the sounds that make up words) from other languages can learn foreign languages more easily later on.
In our classes, we sing songs and read books in other languages (primarily French), and learn phrases for greetings and thankfulness in many different languages, including a variety of indigenous languages. We also practice ASL (American Sign Language) finger-spelling and signs.
Exploring the Outdoors
We have picnic tables and play centers in our fenced playground that we can use when the weather is conducive to outside learning. We end each day with playground play.
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We also like to go on nature walks around the church grounds, looking for signs of the seasons, plants, and animals. We enjoy using different senses to learn new things about the outdoors!
Moving Our Bodies
Even when we cannot go outdoors, we make sure to move our bodies! We have indoor recess in the large round room in the church building. We explore obstacle courses, parachutes, tents, balance beams, and special indoor recess toys. We also incorporate active songs and games, and movement inspired by yoga in our indoor class time.
