A Run-Down of The Fall/Spring Program

Well Summer Camp is going awesome... and registration for fall is underway! :) :) Here is a quick run-down of what our fall and spring program will look like! :)

We will have class from 9:30-2:30 on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Although I am an in-home preschool, we will only utilize the classroom and play areas of our home. (If we are doing a special activity that needs the use of the kitchen, we may venture in there.) But otherwise, we are always in our classroom; children are not allowed to roam the house or even leave the classroom. Our bathroom is right outside our classroom :) We treat it just as we would with any other classroom that was inside a school :)

*** This program is for 3 and 4-year-old kiddos.Children must be 3 by August 1, 2011. We will focus on reading, writing, science, Biblical principles, and beginning math concepts. We will have different themes of study and our academic activities will tie into those. ***

Our day looks something like this:

We start our day with academic and developmentally appropriate centers.

We have a snack in the morning and read a book related to our theme of study.
Next, we go over our alphabet, counting chart, calendar and weather. We use this time to focus on vocabulary like:
Months
Seasons
Years
Days
Days of the week
Weather terminology (Etc)

We also use it to practice counting and learning about patterns :)

We move into phonics and reading, learning not only about what sounds letters makes but also diagraphs, blends, and more. I use a curriculum called Jolly Phonics :)

We have science and math time. We make a craft for the day. While we do all of this, we continue to discuss how whatever we're doing or talking about ties into what we're learning about at the time. I enjoy letting the students lead conversations with their questions and insights. Children learn best when they've actively engaged in the topic. Just about everything is hands-on in preschool.... especially science and math.
We will spend a lot of science and math time getting involved in different activities (like graphing) and experiments.

After lunch and outside play time (we use an indoor gym if the weather is inclement), we focus on enrichment activities. Sometimes I will find an awesome activity to go along with our theme; it may be math-focused or reading-focused. Or it could be Bible or science-related! I also use this time to meet with students one-on-one and work on their phonics and reading skills. This way, I can track how each child is doing and I know exactly where they are at. If children are reading small books, I may take this time for us to select a book to send home with them to read to mom and dad :)

We wrap up our day with some quiet rest time. We will all lay on our rest mats, but children who do not nap will only be asked to lay down quietly for a short period. After that, they can enjoy books or puzzles while our other kiddos nap. :) It's a way to unwind from our busy day :)

If you have any questions about my procedures, curriculum, etc, please feel free to contact me! :)

Ms. Melissa