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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 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.
Introduction to the
Pre-kindergarten Curriculum
Our pre-kindergarten
program helps prepare children for success in school and in
life. Findings from research on learning and the brain
provide concrete evidence of how important the early years
are in a child’s learning and development. These findings
also show evidence of how and when children learn best.
Our program, with the
help of teachers and parents, guides children to acquire the
skills, attitudes, and habits to do well in school and
throughout life. The Balboa Academy staff is educated and
supports the students in a caring and inviting environment
that is safe and predictable.
How
the Pre-kindergarten Child Learns
Pre-kindergarten
children learn continously. They learn best by being
active. Pre-kindergarteners are curious about their world
and ask many questions. The Balboa
Academy pre-kindergarten program wants children to see
themselves as inventors, problem solvers, discoverers, and
capable learners. Teachers encourage children through
questioning techniques to enhance their thinking and
answering skills.
Our program helps
children develop their natural curiosity. Teachers encourage
children to observe, explore, take things apart, build,
create, draw, and see what they can find out. The more
active children are in their work, the more they learn and
remember.
The Goals of the
Curriculum
A primary goal of the
curriculum is for children to acquire social skills. We want
our students to become enthusiastic learners, independent,
and self-confident.
Our pre-kindergarten
curriculum identifies four goals in the following areas of
development:
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social/emotional
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physical
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cognitive
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language
We accomplish the goals
of our curriculum through our daily plans, the children’s
interest, the way we organize the classroom and select
activities and materials to stimulate them to explore and
enjoy their world.
The Content Areas of
Pre-kindergarten
Curriculum experts have
defined that the content areas are what children need to
know and be able to do at a certain age. In pre-kindergarten
to teach in the content areas means to respect the
developmental stages of pre-kindergarten children. At the
Balboa Academy pre-kindergarten the content areas are taught
and learned through the physical environment set up by the
teachers. The physical environment allows for children to be
good readers and writers, solve problems in math and
science, be good citizens, appreciate the arts, and to use
technology. The following content areas are taught:
Literacy allows for:
Increased vocabulary and
language; phonological awareness; knowledge of print;
comprehension; letters and words; books and other text;
literacy as a source of enjoyment.
Math allows for:
Number concept; patterns
and relationship; measurement; geometry and spatial sense;
data collection, organization, and representation.
Science allows for:
Physical science; life
science; earth and the environment.
Social Studies allows
for:
Spaces and geography;
people and how they live; people and the environment; people
and the past.
The Arts allows for:
Dance; music; drama;
visual arts.
Technology allows for:
Awareness of technology; basic operations and concepts;
technology tools; people and technology.
The Classroom
The classroom environment
offers developmental learning centers in order to meet the
different levels of development of each child. Our
classrooms are inviting, warm, and provide a safe and
positive atmosphere where fun and learning are the order of
the day.
Balboa Academy Preschool
bases the program through three components:
The
physical space is organized into 11 interest areas: blocks,
dramatic play, art, library, discovery, sand and water,
music and movement, manipulative, cooking, computers, and
outdoors. Each interest area invites children to choose from
a variety of activities and materials to explore, discover,
and grow.
The
daily routines and schedules allow children to move around
their environment in a flexible and positive way. With the
assurance that their environment is predictable and
familiar; children can settle into learning and function as
a part of the group.
The classroom community
it a vital component of the curriculum as it is where
children need to feel safe, learn to help one another, and
see themselves as part of a group. As teachers in the
classroom community we teach children how to treat others
and how they want to be treated. We establish rules and
clear and consistent limits, so children learn what behavior
is acceptable and what is not. Children learn how to solve
their own problems and come up with solutions that benefit
the group.
How We
Know Children are Learning.
The Balboa Academy
Pre-kindergarten program doesn’t require the children to be
tested. Tests are not reliable for their age group. As an
alternative, teachers observe what children do and take
notes. Each child has a portfolio consisting of collected
samples of the child’s work (drawings, writings, photos of
artwork, and/or photos of interaction with peers in the
learning areas). Several times a year the information is
gathered in school and shared with parents through
conferences and e-mails. On a daily basis communication
notebooks are used between home and school. The notebooks
allow teachers to inform parents how their child is
interacting in school. It is also used for parents to share
with teachers any information they feel teachers need to
know.
Importance of Social/Emotional Skills in Pre-Kindergarten
Research shows that there
is evidence that social/emotional readiness is critical to a
successful kindergarten transition, early school success,
and even later accomplishments in the workplace. Children
that know how to make friends, can cooperate with others and
can control their emotions are more likely to be successful
in school and in life, than children that do not acquire
these skills.
A main objective for
teachers at Balboa Academy is to focus on social/emotional
development as a key readiness for a life time skill.
Teachers model appropriate social skills by redirecting,
encouraging children to use their words, and solve problems
positively. Teachers support children decisions to
experiment and find answers to their own questions.
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