THE PRESCHOOL
PROGRAM
Creative Free Play
This
very important time is filled with social interaction: sharing of ideas, space,
equipment, friends and emotions, all under the guidance of a skilled teacher.
Materials available to the children include: large and small building blocks,
cars, trucks, airplanes, dolls, puzzles, books, Duplos, Magnet Blocks, Snap
Blocks, Magna Doodles, playdough, glue, scissors, drawing materials, etc. A
children's play kitchen and dress-up clothes are available for imaginative
play. "Learning trays" for sorting, matching, counting, colors, shapes,
numbers, alphabet, stringing beads, opposites and rhymes, etc. are also
available.
Snack and Conversation Time
Snack time is a
valuable time. The children are encouraged to share ideas and experiences.
Vocabulary, self expression and word concepts are all an integral part of the
program. Snacks are selected from two food groups and include 100% juice or
fruit, AND crackers (wheat, graham, cheese or club). Cheese or peanut butter is
also provided occasionally. LUNCHES - (for full-day children) Children bring
their own sack lunch with their name clearly marked on it.
CIRCLE
TIME
A puppet (1 for each letter of the alphabet) experiences a special
adventure portrayed in pictures on a storyboard. The letter's sound is used 40
to 60 times within the story. The children have parts to say in the story,
utilizing the letter sound. Following the story (while looking at the pictures)
children volunteer words that begin with that letter sound. Then, for each
letter, there are creative movement activities, structured games, poems, and
songs with accompanying movements. This curriculum is written by Jill
Coudron.
Group Activity Time
SCIENCE, MUSIC, ART,
PRINTING, GAMES
There are two scheduled group activity times in each
morning or afternoon class. Activities rotate amongst science, music/movement,
art, printing and games. Planned group art activities coordinate with the
letter (or shape or color) of the week or with the science activity. “Work
at your own pace” printing / drawing involves first tracing and then free
hand printing of lines, shapes, name and phone number, uppercase alphabet,
lower case alphabet, numbers, etc. Each child is given an individualized paper
and can color pictures on the back. Games (bingo etc) teach colors, shapes,
letter names and sounds, and rhyming of words.
Outdoor Play
Outdoor play will happen on a daily basis, weather permitting. The outdoors
includes a shade-roofed sand play area, and a shade-roofed play kitchen
complete with wash basin sink, stove top elements, and a water table in warm
weather. There is also a 150 foot long tricycle route, a shade-roofed
playground structure (with 2 steering wheels, telescope, slide, trapeze bar,
trapeze ring set, sliding/climbing pole, tire climb, knotted rope climb,
climbing bars, chin up bars, telephone talk tubes, and basketball hoop). There
is also a "toddler safe" teeter totter, an octopus merry-go-round and a tube
slide. "Turtleland" is the home of 3 shy Box Turtles. "Birdland" is where we
play hopscotch, wait for the bus (wagon), and watch for birds.
ACADEMICS
The preschool curriculum is multi-faceted in order
to be interesting and challenging and meet the different learning styles of the
children. Academics covering phonics, printing skills, reading skills and
number skills, occur during group activity time, during circle time, and one on
one with the teacher. For a description of this program see: GROUP ACTIVITY
TIME, CIRCLE TIME, AND READING PROGRAM.
READING PROGRAM
The
reading program utilizes five teaching methods simultaneously
A.
Phonics (letter sounds).
B. Building a sight vocabulary (words
recognized on sight, not by sounding out).
C. Language Experience
Story Writing–– The child tells a story and the adult writes it down
in large print using short simple sentences. Then the story is read together
slowly following each word with the pointer finger. The child may draw pictures
to go with the story. In reverse, labels and stories may be added to children's
artwork. Parents should assist the child in reading the sentences or words
printed on his/her artwork. Follow the words with your finger and read it aloud
until the child chooses to "read" it aloud.
D. Basal Reading Series;
"Ladybird Read With Me - Key Words Reading Scheme". This series of books begins
with a book of 18 words; book two uses those 18 and adds 2; book three adds 32
new words and so it continues …
E. Reading is more than phonics
and sight words. Reading is for meaning. The child also needs to obtain the
meaning from context (a sense of what is happening in the story). Also, the
word can be obtained from looking at the accompanying pictures. These tools are
also very important to the reading process.
It is always a source of
great joy to the teacher, the child, and the parent when a child reads his
first book. While "sight words" play a large role in this accomplishment, it is
reassuring to know that the child understands that reading progresses from left
to right, top to bottom, one word at a time.
These two factors, sight
words and following the reading track, are a major step. Parents can know that
their child has taken one major step on the road to independent reading.
Children reading by "sight words" at an early age automatically slow
reading progress while their "phonics ability" and "meaning from context
ability" catches up with their sight word ability.
Parents who would
like their "beginning reader" to progress further need to review letter names
and letter sounds (several at a time until mastered) 2 to 3 times a day. Then,
wherever possible sound out words on cereal boxes, book covers, toys, etc.
Pinewood Preschool will not take children beyond Book 4 unless they
have a strong phonics ability. Phonics is the core of the Pinewood educational
program. Circle time stories, songs, fingerplays, movements and games all focus
on letter sounds. Pinewood encourages parents to assist their children in
learning letter names and letter sounds in fun and creative ways. The review
done and interest shown at home can lock the knowledge in the child's mind.
This knowledge alone increases the child's self confidence and self image to
the point where "school" loses its dread and fear components, freeing the child
up to relax and enjoy learning.
More than ever children need this
support at home. Competing computer games, movie videos, single parenting, both
parents working, etc., can drain the support and encouragement necessary for
learning.
Teaching tips for parents interested in helping their child
learn to read.
(A) Go slowly, (only a few minutes several times a day).
One letter, one vowel, one sound, or one word at a time to start.
(B) Always
make it a game; FUN!
(C) Work along with him/her, take turns.
(D) Don't
take over in the middle of a task he/she is doing. ("You're doing fine, but
it's a hard word isn't it. I bet you'd like a break.")
(E) Let him/her know
he's/she's doing well right away; "Good!", "Yes!", "That's right!".
(F)
Teach toward his/her strengths; use his/her interests.
(G) Start with the
toughies or new stuff while he/she is fresh.
(H) Get very simple books from
the library and as you read follow the words with your finger so he/she grasps
left to right, top to bottom progression of reading.
(I) Read words
everywhere: road signs, groceries, cereal boxes, vehicle names, store signs,
and so on.
Preschool can never take the place of learning in the home.
Parents are a child's first teachers; home is a child's first learning
environment. Please ask your child questions about what he/she is learning; ask
what the story is about, talk about letters and their sounds, admire his/her
artwork, create a special box to save some of it. Your interest and excitement
about learning and reading will be contagious! Your child will love to learn!
A word of caution: If your child is not interested in practising
academics (phonics, reading, printing, etc.) at home, please do not force your
preschool age child. Regularly forcing learning at this age could lead to
liflifelong negative attitudes towards learning. Play and fun stories are still
the main avenues of learning for children up to five years of age. Structured
learning can easily wait until kindergarten and grade school.
PARENT
INVOLVEMENT: Parents are welcome to visit at any time. Parents are
encouraged to reinforce and extend school learning (as explained in notes from
teacher to parent). In the Spring parents are invited to participate in the
“Book-It Beginners Reading Club” and the St. Jude Children’s
Hospital Fundraiser. Assessments (report cards) will be provided to parents in
December and May. Parents may sign up to bring treats on party days.
(Halloween, December and Valentine’s). Birthdays are
celebrated with candles in a playdough cake and singing the birthday song.
Parents may bring their child’s favorite cookies.
Parent
Confidentiality: All information regarding children and families is
confidential. Under no circumstances will the personal information about a
child or family be discussed with anyone unless it directly affects the care of
the child.
Appropriate dress: Please send your child with
a sweater or jacket. Shoes or sneakers are preferred over sandals because
sandals allow the pea gravel to get under the child’s
foot.
DISCIPLINE
Clear cut limits are set to foster the
child's own ability to become self disciplined. The discipline will be clear
and consistent.
The child will be encouraged to be fair, to respect
property, to assume personal responsibility and responsibility for others.
Discipline consists of 3 parts: (1) explain to the child what he/she is doing
wrong (the unacceptable behavior), (2) explain why it is wrong (the
consequences of his/her behavior), and (3) redirect his/her behavior in a
positive direction ...an apology and "let's play this way..." The child is
given time to regain his/her control and then to demonstrate his/her ability to
play once again in a positive manner. As necessary, there will be Time-Out,
separated from the group, for pushing, hitting, etc. When time out, along with
parental instruction/ discussion does not resolve a particular behavior problem
in a reasonable length of time, then withdrawal of a privilege (use of a
particular space, for example) may occur.
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