Children begin developing a true love and understanding of reading. Books pertaining to each theme are chosen and children are encouraged to identify characters in the story, answer questions about the story, and relate the story to personal experience. Children are also asked to recognize some letters in their own name, notice details in an illustration, and begin experimenting with a variety of writing tools.
“Mathematics Their Way,” provides an activity centered mathematics program for early childhood education. Children gain additional knowledge in counting, color identification, and comparing objects and shapes. New skills, such as ordering objects by size, length and height, comparing more and less, and patterning are introduced during large group times. Small group times allow for the integration of math skills into weekly themes.
Science and Social Studies encourage children to delve into the world around them. Children explore the body by noting the difference between the body parts of humans and the body parts of animals. They compare human and animal bodies and learn to understand the uses of both. Throughout the year, children also discuss changes in seasonal weather. Through Social Studies, children begin to explore their roles in the smaller communities of their schools and families. Children identify members of their homes and schools, and understand the rules and routines of both.
Gross motor skills are essential for the complete development of a child. The mastery of gross motor skills is promoted through hopping, throwing, jumping and skipping. Fine motor skills are also essential for the complete development of a child. The mastery of fine motor skills is promoted through completion of more difficult puzzles, using scissors, and putting pegs in holes.
Children develop social skills through opportunities for new experiences as they begin to express feelings through words and actions. They learn these skills by using dolls and stuffed animals to practice expressing feelings, using large group times to discuss feelings, and labeling emotions with adult help.