2.9-3.4 year olds Preschool
The Sunshines(26/27)
In this classroom, there is an emphasis on socialization and communication. Three-year-olds need to learn these skills to get along in life scenarios. The teachers set up the classroom with different learning centers. In each learning center, the children can learn these new socialization skills and work on fine motor skills, following directions, how things work, walking in a line, waiting, and being patient. The three-year-old classroom is where many start their Young World journey. This classroom is where children discover their independence. The teachers encourage self-help skills: dressing for outside time, caring for their belongings, and toileting. They begin to learn songs sung during calendar and morning meetings; these songs are sung in every classroom throughout the center.
The Sunshine’s Lead Teacher: Laurie Kieszek
The Sunshine’s Teacher: Elissa Perrier
“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.”
O. Fred Donaldson
The Sunshines Daily Schedule
- 7:30-9:15 Arrival/Wash/Bathroom/Free Play
- 9:15-9:30 Morning Meeting/Calendar/Story-Question of the Day
- 9:30-9:45 Wash/Bathroom/ AM Snack
- 9:45-10:00 Bathroom/Prepare for outdoor play
- 10:30-11:30 Undress from outdoor play/bathroom/Free Play/Directed Activity
- 11:30-12:30 Story/ songs/Wash/Bathroom/Lunch/Prepare for Nap
- 12:30-2:30 Nap/Rest time. At 2:00, quiet toys are offered to children who are awake
- 2:30-3:15 Wake up/Wash/Bathroom
- 3:15-3:45 Story/songs/wash hands/afternoon snack
- 3:45-4:00 Wash hands/prepare for outdoor play
- 4:00-4:30 Outdoor Play
- 4:30 Undress from outdoor play
- 4:30-5:00 All Groups combine/Story
- 5:00 Dismissal; Young World Closes
This schedule is very flexible. We sing songs at appropriate transitions. We will have extended free play, extra games, or gross motor activities when it is too hot, cold, or rainy.
In this classroom, students will learn through various learning centers and hands-on experiences. The curriculum is designed around the children’s emotional and social interactions. Our daily activities and overall objectives emphasize learning rather than teaching. Children will participate in a teacher-directed activity. This directed activity can include the following: Creative art projects, baking/cooking, science experiments, music and movement lessons, listening games, or large-motor games. The teachers follow the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care Guidelines for Preschool and Kindergarten Learning Experiences. The monthly themes are incorporated into all classroom learning areas. Each week, the teacher chooses one monthly theme. Children learn about the weekly theme by reading books, answering questions, singing songs, and having discussions. Listening skills, following directions, social skills (including manners), first and last name recognition, working on writing their names, being able to say all the letters of the alphabet, some letter recognition, shape recognition, color recognition, self-help skills, and home addresses. We will incorporate these skills throughout the year. We do not expect or require every child to master every skill.
See Our Classes
Ages: 2.9-3.4 Years Preschool
The Sunshines
The three-year-old classroom is where many start their Young World journey. This classroom is where children discover their independence. The teachers encourage self-help skills, such as dressing themselves for outside, taking care of their belongings, and toileting. They begin learning songs sung during calendar and morning meetings; every classroom in the center sings them.
3.4-4 Preschool
The Ducklings (26/27)
In the Duckling Classroom, the focus is socialization and communication—three-year-olds need these skills to get along in real-life situations. The teachers set up the classroom with different learning centers. In each learning center, children can learn new socialization skills and build fine motor skills, follow directions, understand how things work, walk in a line, wait, and be patient. The three-year-old classroom is where many start their Young World journey. This classroom is where children discover their independence. The teachers encourage self-help skills: dressing for outside time, caring for their belongings, and toileting. They begin learning songs sung during calendar and morning meetings; every classroom in the center sings them.
Pre-K Classroom
The Storytellers
In the Storyteller’s classroom, the environment is set up with a more complex, structured schedule that still includes playtime and prepares a child for what they will encounter in Kindergarten. The children in this classroom will continue building on the foundational skills they began working on in other classrooms.
Ages: 3.8-4 years Preschool
The Rainbow Room
In the Rainbow Room classroom, we emphasize socialization and communication. Expectations grow as the children get older. The children will participate in longer morning meetings; they are expected to do more for themselves, dress for outside, and follow more instructions during art activities, etc. These children will move on to the Pre-K classroom the next year, as their birthday is after the kindergarten cutoff date of August 31st.
4-year-old Preschool
The Feather Friends(26/27)
The Feathered Friends’ classroom is where children will begin preparing for Kindergarten. Children will observe and use appropriate ways to interact in a group (taking turns talking, listening to peers, waiting until someone is finished, asking questions, and waiting for an answer) and gain the floor appropriately. The children will name the days and months of the year and count during calendar time. They will become familiar with letter forms and develop an awareness of print and letter forms as they explore the literacy area. The children will observe the safe and appropriate use and care of available art materials. They will listen to, recite, sing, and dramatize various age-appropriate literature in all classroom learning areas that correspond with the appropriate learning themes. This classroom offers a wide array of learning games for children to work on independently or cooperatively with their peers.