Why a Playschool?
A play –based school believes children learn about the world around them by “-active learning” and using their five senses (touch, smell, sight, taste and sound) to gain that knowledge. When children are allowed to choose their own activities, on the basis of what interests them at the time, we believe this increases their motivation and curiosity to learn new things.
Will my child be ready for Kindergarten?
Yes- we believe academics (pre- reading, pre-writing, and pre- math skills), are important for children to learn to be ready for their school careers. We just teach them in a different way!
We incorporate these skills with the topics the children and teachers have created, thus keeping the children excited to learn about them! All of our classes offer age appropriate play, learning experiences and social activities. The play and learn centers in each class include arts and crafts, science, music, cooking, block building, a playhouse area with dress-up costumes, a library, and activities tables for puzzles, manipulatives and play-dough. Our outside play area includes a large play structure, a playhouse, children's garden, painting easels, large sand area, areas for water play and a large lawn.
Each day, our teachers share stories and encourage children to participate in play, songs and finger plays to develop literacy and pre-reading skills. Children also develop early math skills with counting and sorting activities. Our arts and craft area is always ready with fresh projects where children are encouraged to experiment through the sprocess of creating. They explore sensory experiences and science through activities with a wide variety of materials and projects about plants, animals and natural phenomena.
“Play, for young children, is not a recreation activity. It is not leisure-time activity nor is escape activity….Play thinking time for young children. It is language time. Problem- solving time. It is memory time, planning time, investigating time. It is organization-of-ideas time, when the young child uses his mind and body and his social skills and all his powers in response to the stimuli he has met”.
James L. Hymes, Jr., child development specialist, author.