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Early Childhood Program
3 year olds, 4 year olds, 5 year olds
The Early Childhood Program is dedicated to educating the whole
child. This approach to learning emphasizes four major developmental
areas: Language and Communication Skills, Social and Practical Life
Skills, Reasoning and Thinking skills, and Physical Development. The
goals are achieved through hands-on activities centering on a
literacy-based program. Literature is the springboard from which
cognitive, language and expressive skills develop. The learning
experiences within the duration of the child's day centers on an
education and meaningful context of play. Through play experiences,
children begin to explore the dynamics of language and
communication, and apply this within their reasoning and thinking
skills, social development, and physical development.
Music and art exploration are incorporated to enhance each child's
ability to form connective schemes for learning. Children in the
five-year-old program begin learning the French language. The
Religion program, which is taught to the four and five year olds by
the Sisters of the Visitation, is rooted in Salesian tradition and
gospel values. Children in the three ad four year old program make
daily use of designated play areas both indoors and outdoors.
Physical Education for the five-year-olds takes place either in the
gym or on the outdoor field, which is part of the 7.5 acre campus.
The Visitation school environment provides a safe and positive
atmosphere for critical thinking and creative development. The small
class size fosters creativity and provides individual attention to
each student's needs and development. A challenging learning
environment provides the stimulus for broadening and enriching the
child's creative mind. Children have exceptional opportunities for
on-going learning experiences in an environment that promotes
self-esteem, respect for others, and an appreciation of diversity in
gifts, beliefs, and cultures.
Three Year Old Program
Language and Communication Skills
These skills are attained through a story each day. Stories can
result from a trip to the library, as well as children making up one
of their own. Acting out a story or making puppets to re-enact the
story offers children the opportunity to use new vocabulary and
verbal skills.
Social and Practical Life Skills
Children learn to interact with their class and school community.
Snack time fosters the child’s growth in good manners towards
others, in sharing, and the development of conversational skills.
Reasoning and Thinking Skills
These skills are taught through various inter-active projects. A
cooking experience engages the children by following a simple
recipe, organizing the ingredients, and using dry and liquid
measurement, all with an edible result.
Physical Development
Fine motor skills are practices daily through pasting, painting,
drawing, cutting, and musical finger plays. Outdoor play allows the
children to explore nature and expand their imagination. Gross motor
development happens while running, jumping, climbing, and enjoying a
variety of outdoor games.
Four Year Old Program (Pre-K)
Language and Communication Skills
In the four-year-old program, children build on prior knowledge and
experiences. They are surrounded by an authentic literature-based
print-rich environment where free exploration of books is encouraged
and the connection of words to meaning is introduced. Learning
experiences include retelling of a story in sequence, the use of
finger play and song, puppets and dramatization. Children also have
the opportunity to dictate their original stories and to see how
their words appear on paper. Furthermore, the formation of
Pre-writing strokes is explored as is following multi-step
directions.
Social and Practical Life Skills
Children engage in age-appropriate behavior among one another
through the use of verbal skills, cooperative learning, and play.
Independence is promoted through self-made choices, decisions, and
opportunities. Conflict resolution and self-control of feelings and
emotions is encouraged through the use of verbal skills. The
beginning stages of critical thinking and problem solving are
explored. Children also learn about responsibility and respect for
the school, classroom, others, and themselves.
Reasoning and Thinking Skills
Children learn science and mathematical concepts by observing the
environment and manipulating objects through hands-on experiences.
Opportunities for exploration, observation, and conversation of
concrete experiences are given. Mathematical concepts explored are
patterns, estimation, measurement, whole numbers to 10, sorting and
classification. Science concepts explored are physical properties of
objects, body awareness, life cycles, comparison and contrasting.
Physical Development
Fine motor skills are explored through a variety of mediums such as
cutting, finger painting, play dough, finger plays, and opening
snacks and lunch bags. Gross motor skills are explored to obtain a
sense of body space. Development is enhanced through use of the
playground, field play, stair climbing, block play, and musical
instruments. Indoor and outdoor play provide a critical role in
children understanding how they relate to the world.
Five Year Old Program (Kindergarten)
Language and Communication Skills
In the five-year-old program, children develop a deeper connection
to literature through a print-rich environment where they progress
from recognition of letters and sounds to reading and writing the
printed word. Through phonemic awareness activities, students become
more familiar with the mechanics of the sounds within our spoken and
written language. Daily activities involve dramatic play, singing
songs, putting ideas down in print, using a word wall to build
vocabulary skills, and reading for a balanced literacy program.
Social and Practical Life Skills
Children engage in age-appropriate behavior among one another
through the use of verbal skills, cooperative learning, and play.
Independence is promoted through self-made choices, decisions, and
opportunities. Conflict resolution and self-control of feelings and
emotions is encouraged through the use of verbal skills. The
beginning stages of critical thinking and problem solving are
explored. Children also learn about responsibility and respect for
the school, classroom, others, and themselves.
Reasoning and Thinking Skills
Children learn science and mathematical concepts by observing the
environment and manipulating objects through hands-on experiences.
Opportunities for exploration, observation, and conversation of
concrete experiences are given. Mathematical concepts explored are
patterns, estimation, measurement, whole numbers to 10, sorting and
classification. Science concepts explored are physical properties of
objects, body awareness, life cycles, comparison and contrasting.
Physical Development
Fine motor skills are practiced daily through coloring, drawing,
painting, cutting, pasting, molding with clay, and writing. Correct
letter formation and spacing between words is reinforced when
children use a chubby pencil for writing activities. The use of
manipulaties in math and science activities also helps develop small
motor coordination.
Gross motor skills are developed during song activities at circle
time and through exercise breaks within the day. Each day, children
go outside to run, jump, climb, and enjoy a variety of outdoor
games. Children also participate in a weekly physical education
class.
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