PRE-K PRESCHOOL
PRE-K PRESCHOOL – THREEs & FOURs Room - 3 to 5 year olds [1 adult to 11-12 children]
Children must be 3 to 4 years old by Sept. 1 at the beginning of the school year
This class is for children going to kindergarten in one or two years.
The older preschool room is the place for children who are one or two years away from kindergarten and toilet trained, ready to make the transition from toddlerhood to the preschool years. Cathy O'Rourke provides opportunities for the children in her class to demonstrate their newly developed self-help skills. The play of three-year-olds continues to be parallel (next to a peer) or with one or two children. Under Cathy’s supervision, Group and Assistant Teachers–-as well as Student Teachers from Kean University--guide these children as they learn to share and take turns, modeling for and supporting them as they practice problem-solving and conflict resolution. She looks for improved coordination of large muscles through gross motor activities like running, galloping, riding a tricycle or catching a ball. To gain greater control of their hands, they use crayons, markers, scissors, play dough, blocks and puzzles. They develop fine motor skills as they learn to draw, color, and cut. Language develops at a rapid pace during this stage of development, ranging from 2000 to 4000 words. Three-year-olds are encouraged to speak in simple sentences as they interact and describe experiences, and to sing, recite rhymes and fingerplays, enjoy books and stories throughout each day. As their attention span increases, longer activities are planned. Children in the preschool learn at their own pace, in their own way, through developmentally appropriate practices in a creative and structured environment. Recognizing that preschool children are very curious and excited about learning, teachers offer the youngsters many hands-on experiences and a wide variety of manipulative materials.
The transition to pre-kindergarten is made easier as children continue all the familiar and consistent routines, such as snack, naptime and circle time. Cathy O'Rourke brings many years of experience in various preschool settings to her work with preschool children. She creates an environment for these children to address their strengths:
- their ability to use more language and to attend for longer periods of time
- their social awareness of each other and their ability to interact in longer, more complex ways
- their love of new ideas and experiences through exploration
She believes that children’s play is the most important part of their day. In “Group Time” where they learn everyday math and literacy skills, they also practice listening to the teacher and to each other, and to share cooperative games and music. At “Center Time” they can choose a center such as art, blocks, dramatic play, science discovery, sensory table, games and toys, and literacy for uninterrupted play facilitated by their teacher and her assistants. As these children will be going to kindergarten for the next year, independence in social and self-help skills is taught and encouraged.
Preschoolers DAILY SCHEDULE - 3 to 4 years old
7:30 to 9am - Arrival
9 to 9:30am - Snack
9:30 to 10am - Group Time
10 to 11am - Center Time
11 to 11:30am - Outdoor Play
11:30am to 12:30pm - Lunch Time
12:30 to 2:45pm - Nap Time
2:45 to 3:15pm - Snack
3:15 to 4:15pm - Outdoor Play
4:15 to 4:30pm - Group Time
4:30 to 5:30pm - Center Time
5:30 - Goodbye
Please plan to arrive at the end of the program day in time to have exited the room by closing time at 5:30pm.
“Creativity is intelligence at play.” ~ Albert Einstein
