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Welcome
to our preschool and our team of creative and energetic
teachers.
Our
preschool is housed in a one-story building separate from
the upper grades of Balboa Academy. We have lots of
classroom space and light, interesting materials, and an
enormous playground. Children enjoy our setting, where they
can be active and engaged in learning. The preschool
schedule is Mondays – Fridays, 8:00 – 11:30.
Each of
our teachers has a small group of three and four-year-olds.
We find that mixed-age grouping helps students learn how to
lead and to follow, how to communicate, and how to get along
in a group. Mixed-age grouping also has the advantage of
providing us with a seed group to begin each year. It helps
greatly to have children who know our school, our teachers,
and our ways. New students have “student guides” and
teachers have helpers.
The Preschool Environment
We
believe our preschool environment is a key part of our
curriculum. Children at this age need to move about,
choosing and using materials independently, interacting with
other children and adults, and learning through their senses
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Each
classroom is set up with learning centers, such as blocks,
dramatic play, toys and games, art, sand and water.
Materials are organized and available, so children can make
decisions about where to be, who to play with, and what to
work on. We also teach our students to pick up after play,
which gives them responsibility for their school.
Students
learn to work within the daily routine established in each
classroom. Each day includes: large group, small group,
teacher-directed, child choice, snack and outdoor play. A
flexible routine is comforting for all of us, and children
quickly learn what to expect of their school day.
Our Goals for Preschool Students
We want
our students to leave preschool with the skills they need
for success in kindergarten.
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First and foremost are self-help and
social skills, such as self-confidence, self-control,
and the ability to make and sustain friendships.
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We focus on communication skills –
identifying and naming their interests, needs, and
ideas, as well as listening while others speak. In many
cases our students must also learn the English language
and they receive a good beginning in preschool.
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We also direct our teaching to the
development of large and small motor skills, and the
acquisition of basic knowledge in the content areas.
In order to achieve these goals, preschool has a yearly plan
based on topics and studies which are vehicles for student
learning. We use the yearly plan to create a plan for the
month, and each teacher then plans details for each day of
the week. The plan is flexible because we respond to
children’s needs and interests. Young children are very
curious
and ask many questions. We encourage them to look for
answers and support them in their search. This helps them
develop critical thinking skills.
Preschool Content Areas
There
are content areas which we cover regardless of the topic or
long-term study that guides us. These content areas are:
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Literacy
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Math
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Science
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Social Studies
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The Arts
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Technology
Learning
looks very different in preschool than it does in elementary
school. When you visit a classroom, you might think that the
only thing happening is play. But within the busy and
colorful scene, students are learning in the content areas.
Here are some examples:
-Circle time might include a story (literacy),
a song (the arts), and a patterning activity (mathematics).
-Child choice time might include
children in the block area building a model of our
playground (social
studies) and they might have built a slide which they
test by sending toy cars down (science).
-During a long-term study of chairs, a
group might start by making a web of all that they know
about chairs (literacy)and then talk about the kinds of tools needed to build
chairs (technology)
or make a graph of the kinds of chairs found in our building
(math).
In all
of these examples, and throughout our preschool year, the
teachers’ careful observation and planning transform typical
moments of childhood play into rich learning experiences.
Another
aspect that enriches our preschool is the inclusion of three
weekly specials – music, media, and physical education. The
preschool teacher takes the group to another building for
class with a specialist in each of these areas. Children
enjoy the opportunity to visit other areas on our campus and
meet the expectations of a different teacher, while
accompanied by their regular classroom teacher.
We hope you have the time to visit our preschool and see us
in action. Again, Welcome to Balboa Academy.
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