Goals and Objectives
Children will...
* Be active members of a group demonstrating respect and compassion towards others.
* Learn how to be independent, creative thinkers and problem solvers.
* Enjoy learning through meaningful and motivating activities.
* Engage in a variety of learning techniques including song, dance, art, YOGA, music, etc.
* Have fun!
The three-year-old program is play-based which simply means that children learn best through play. Students will be exposed to letters, numbers, shapes, colors, name recognition, fine and gross motor skills, etc. All learning objectives will be woven into activities (reading, dancing, cooking) but children might not necessarily know that they are "learning".
As an early childhood educator a primary goal of mine is to foster creativity. Be please be aware that your child will often come home with projects/artwork that will look abstract. I will often put white paper out with a variety of art supplies and ask your child to "have fun". By participating in activities such as this children learn how to think "out of the box" and to use alternative thinking skills. Please use this opportunity to engage your child in meaningful discussions. (Why did he/she choose the materials he/she did? Did they plan the picture or did they create it as they went?)
On the other hand, there will be many opportunities for your child to engage in directed lessons. These activities will allow your child to learn how to work as part of a group, how to problem solve and how to follow directions.
As a former first grade teacher, I was asked to teach students the correct way to "hand write". This was not an easy task. By this stage many students had formed bad pencil holding habits and had developed incorrect ways to cut with scissors. I have worked with several Pediatric Occupational Therapists who have advised and taught me various exercises that can be completed with three-year-olds to build the hand strength needed to perform later writing /cutting tasks. I will share the wealth of information as the year progresses. Look forward to hearing about "Boogie Board Coloring" and the "Cutting Song". More to follow...
Check out these great resources highlighting Play-Based Learning at Early Childhood News!
* Learn how to be independent, creative thinkers and problem solvers.
* Enjoy learning through meaningful and motivating activities.
* Engage in a variety of learning techniques including song, dance, art, YOGA, music, etc.
* Have fun!
The three-year-old program is play-based which simply means that children learn best through play. Students will be exposed to letters, numbers, shapes, colors, name recognition, fine and gross motor skills, etc. All learning objectives will be woven into activities (reading, dancing, cooking) but children might not necessarily know that they are "learning".
As an early childhood educator a primary goal of mine is to foster creativity. Be please be aware that your child will often come home with projects/artwork that will look abstract. I will often put white paper out with a variety of art supplies and ask your child to "have fun". By participating in activities such as this children learn how to think "out of the box" and to use alternative thinking skills. Please use this opportunity to engage your child in meaningful discussions. (Why did he/she choose the materials he/she did? Did they plan the picture or did they create it as they went?)
On the other hand, there will be many opportunities for your child to engage in directed lessons. These activities will allow your child to learn how to work as part of a group, how to problem solve and how to follow directions.
As a former first grade teacher, I was asked to teach students the correct way to "hand write". This was not an easy task. By this stage many students had formed bad pencil holding habits and had developed incorrect ways to cut with scissors. I have worked with several Pediatric Occupational Therapists who have advised and taught me various exercises that can be completed with three-year-olds to build the hand strength needed to perform later writing /cutting tasks. I will share the wealth of information as the year progresses. Look forward to hearing about "Boogie Board Coloring" and the "Cutting Song". More to follow...
Check out these great resources highlighting Play-Based Learning at Early Childhood News!
