• Emphasis is placed on social interaction and emotional growth. Children learn to follow directions and take turns. They are given lots of opportunities to make decisions and encouraged to make good choices.

• Circle Times help children learn how to function in a group setting ~ that there is a time to talk and a time to listen, how to share their ideas, and how to learn from each other.

• Large group, small group, and individual activities provide a variety of experiences to enhance growth and development in all areas

• Daily language and literacy experiences support growth in language development and vocabulary.

• Children are introduced to letters and sounds. They learn there are different letters of the alphabet, they each have a different shape and make different sounds, and when you put them together in different ways, they form words.

• Math skills are developed with hands-on experiences, as children work on counting, sorting, comparing, classifying, and measuring.

• Fine motor skills are strengthened through the use of manipulatives, play dough, creative table play, sensory tub materials, and a variety of art experiences.

• Art is enjoyed as children are exposed to both teacher directed projects and independent exploration of art materials.

• Special daily and weekly themes or seasonal activities provide variety and excitement.

• Individual Portfolios and Assessments collect each child’s work and monitor progress.

Our emergent reading program, Animal Island , helps children develop the pre-reading skills they will need to become successful and enthusiastic readers. Through the use of big books, CDs with animated voices, and class discussions, the children participate in an interactive story about a group of animal characters, who discover letters, sounds, and words, as they explore Animal Island. This program introduces children to the names, shapes, and sounds of letters. The appealing story format and continuously developing adventure provide excellent opportunities for lively group discussions that help children develop their comprehension skills, including recollection of events, description, sequence, cause and effect, and interpretation of motive.