Preschool I
Why Preschool I? Preschool I is a unique place for children that will turn two by or three after September 30. This is a unique classroom that transforms with the children, from saying goodbye to the pacifier and diapers to learning self help skills and how to socialize with their peers, children truly “grow up” in this classroom. Read on to learn a little more about how we, The Learning Garden, encourage age appropriate development of your typical two year old….
Two and three year olds make great developmental strides from language development to potty training. Our teachers are right there to provide support in a fun and active environment during this time. The children may have appeared to “just be playing” when you visit the classroom, but did you know that “play” is children’s work?
Our two and three year old children enjoy using their senses and motor skills to explore the world and are highly curious about unfamiliar objects, events and phenomena. They can solve simple problems with the "trial and error" method and will practice an activity many times to master it. Children this age also pretend more during play, using familiar objects and situations to process their daily experiences.
New discoveries are also facilitated by their blossoming language skills that prompt many "why," "what" and "how" questions. During the year, children of this age pick up most parts of speech to form more complete sentences. They can understand and say hundreds of words, but familiar adults may need to "translate" for others due to immature pronunciation skills. They also understand simple directions and many common phrases used in routine situations.
Children at this age are laying the groundwork for reading and writing. They enjoy having books read to them and may pretend to "read" as they independently look through familiar books. They can sing the A-B-C song, but they don't yet understand that the letter names correspond to specific graphic designs. They also make a variety of scribble marks anywhere and everywhere and may even attempt to write the first letter of their name.
As they play and complete their daily routines, two-year-olds learn important math skills. They can use a toy to represent another object, recognize patterns with daily activities and understand concepts of time like, "tomorrow" and "yesterday." Two and three year old children are just beginning to use logical reasoning to solve everyday problems. They can sort shapes, complete puzzles with eight pieces or less and stack a set of rings on a peg by size. They also understand addition and subtraction with the numbers "one" and "two."
Physically, they explore all the ways to travel from here to there, including rolling, crawling, creeping, walking, and running, jumping and climbing. They can also kick a small ball forward, catch a rolled ball and throw a ball overhand (but with little accuracy). Two and three love finger play activities (e.g., "The Itsy, Bitsy, Spider"), pounding and squeezing clay, shaking rhythm instruments and scribbling. They can turn doorknobs and unscrew lids and have improved their skills using eating utensils.
Children at this age also use their motor skills to explore the creative arts. They make sounds by banging and shaking instruments and household items. They enjoy dancing upon request, doing finger plays and acting out chants and songs. Children this age are also gaining control over their voices and will join in singing the refrains of their favorite songs. With art, they enjoy the sensory pleasures of the art materials and focus on the process of creating art, rather than the final product.
Twos and threes enjoy playing alongside other children, but usually keep to themselves. When conflicts arise, our teachers are right there ready to step in to prevent aggression and teach appropriate behaviors. Children at this age are beginning to label feelings that they recognize in themselves and others. Controlling emotions is still difficult, however, so frustration may trigger emotional meltdowns. Comfort objects like blankets or teddy bears help children cope with new situations or strong emotions; please feel free to bring your child’s favorite object!
We understand that returning to work or transitioning from another center can be a stressful experience for a parent, that is why we encourage you to bring your child by several times to get familiar with their teacher and the classroom. Once your child has been added to the role, (first week tuition holds your spot and keeps you from having to pay on their first day) just call and let us know when you would like to stop by. The more comfortable you feel on that first day the easier the transition for you and your child. Remember, we are here for you and your family anytime you have questions, please just call. Thanks again for your time and consideration of our preschool. We look forward to getting to know you better. Call anytime to schedule your tour!