1, 2, or 3 Years?

You may join the group as a 2 ½ year old, for just one year of pre- preschool to get you ready for one of the other amazing preschool programs out there, or you may plan to stay and build on the previous year’s learning until Kindergarten beckons. You may even decide to stay for a Kindergarten year. The benefit of the two or three year experience is that deep levels of trust and connection are built up and uninterrupted by the need to understand a new space, a new teacher or a new group of children. Whether you are with us for one, two or three years, there will be lots of opportunities to grow in a loving and stimulating environment.

Year One: The Beginning Foundations for the Older Twos

A gentle introduction to all the routines and expectations that preschools will expect of the over threes. Extra help and guidance with all things that 2 year olds need.

Learning to feel safe saying goodbye to parents or caregivers,
Beginning the self help skills that will enable them to feel so able and say “I can do it myself”!
Exploring all the activities that a preschool class has to offer
Learning to extend attention span, sit in circle, join in.
Understanding and taking part in the routine of the preschool day.
Starting to learn impulse control, managing feelings.
Learning to play cooperatively, taking turns, using resources appropriately.

Year Two: The Preschool Year

Arriving feeling proud and able, and knowing you have already learned so much! Feeling so at home, you get straight down to the business of having fun and skill building and embarking on the Learning Journeys that interest us. Continuing to grow all those skills began last year! Also...

Getting lots practice at hygiene and toileting, dressing/ undressing.
Exploring activities at a more complex level, completing bigger puzzles, more complex activities.
Building confidence to try things out and try again.
Follow 2 step directions
Begin to look after your own belongings.
Finding things that inspire and widen interests.
Emergent interest in self directed number and literacy activities, and in group efforts.
Moving from associative to cooperative play, learning to share, becoming a good friend.
Beginning to work in pairs and small groups, allowing turns and waiting
Actively participating in circle time, and other teacher led activities.
Building strategies to settle conflict.
Emerging development of fine and gross motor control to enhance enjoyment and ability.
Beginning to understand others point of view, feeling empathy.
Growing ability to work at tasks independently
Stamina for a longer school day.

Year 3: The Pre-K Year

This year you will be honing those skills that will be expected in Kindergarten. You will feel proud at being so able and enjoy showing off your skills to new students. These are our goals:

Develop appropriately longer attention span, listening skills, impulse control.
Independence in toileting, nose wiping , handwashing, dressing/ undressing, care of own belongings .
Able to use school equipment appropriately, follow 3 step directions, complete tasks independently.
Exhibit increasing control with gross motor and fine motor movements including correct scissor use, open web grip, balance and movement.
Deepen ability and interest in maintaining friendships, increasing understanding of how to be a good friend, take turns, calm yourself down, and find the right words for conflict resolution.
Enhancing confidence in self as successful learner
Show excitement for BIG school!
Continue to build on emergent Literacy and Language skills with a burgeoning confidence and love of books. Gain confidence in rhyme, alliteration, letter knowledge (names and sounds). Some year 3 children begin sight word and phonetic reading but most children begin in Kindergarten and first grade.
Discover and explore emergent math concepts such as number, measurement, shape and space, estimation, time and money. through play and self directed inquiry.