WHAT MAKES OUR PRESCHOOL STAND OUT FROM THE REST
We know there are many pre-kindergarten programs in this area, both private and public and families have many choices to choose from. While you consider the best option for your child, here at Four Seasons our teachers help each individual child get ready for kindergarten. Below is information about our program, how it gets the children ready for kindergarten, why our strategies work, and why it is an excellent program!
Starting in our 2.9 class and all the way through pre-k we use programs that build upon each other making each year a success from the start. In our 2.9 classroom they begin using our Learning Without Tears program to draw lines, curves, people. All this helps them be able to start letter formation in the 3/4 year old classroom. The literacy curriculum we use in the 2.9/3s starts with hearing sounds which will help them to recognize rhyming words and exposes them to a whole new world of how language works. Rhyming helps children notice and work with sounds within words. Children begin to anticipate a rhyming word through games, songs, and poems which helps them predict text, another important skill.
In our 3/4 year old classroom, children review rhyming and also work on inferencing; making predictions based on pictures, sequencing, and much more. This will help them to use pictures as clues when they begin to read. Children are also exposed to our Lively Letters program as they learn a letter each week. At our school, we believe that learning the sounds letters make should be taught in a certain order and have found that the Lively Letters Program is an important tool for the children to learn the sounds. We have combined that program with our Learning Without Tears Program which helps them learn the proper way to write the letters. Those that came to Four Seasons Preschool last year came into the class with the background knowledge from the 2.9/3 class knowing how to draw lines and curves. They will now go into our Pre-kindergarten class with the background of learning all of the letters, sounds, and letter formation and will be able to start off reviewing those the first half of the year and move onto sight words, CVC words and early reading strategies. Our children learn from the best programs in a hands on environment to make learning fun.
For Math, our 2.9/3 and 3/4 classroom use a math curriculum that builds upon itself. We feel children must master certain concepts before moving onto the next. We follow a program that helps us incorporate this way of learning through hands on games and activities. In pre-k, we follow a program for math called, Engage New York. Some of the public elementary schools have begun incorporating this program and it has been a huge success. The children go into kindergarten with a great mathematical background and start ahead.
Of course we can’t forget STEM! We have many exciting additions to our STEM curriculum for next year in all classrooms. Pre-k does follow all of the Massachusetts learning standards and the curriculum is based on those for ELA/Literacy, math, science and technology/engineering, and history and social science.
With those standards and our programs we have added through our own research and programs we have purchased, we have created a pre-k curriculum that does stand out. We often hear from kindergarten teachers and parents of kindergarten students, that their children were better prepared for kindergarten. The wealth of knowledge and experiences they participate in at Four Seasons Preschool really sets the stage for a successful educational experience once they get to kindergarten. The size of our small classes also allows the teachers to add so much to their schedules and create learning experiences that might be challenging to add in a larger Pre- Kindergarten classroom.
Most important in this curriculum is for the children to enjoy school and play with each other! A major focus in our curriculum planning is making sure we incorporate play and allow the children to freely use their imagination, something that isn’t seen everywhere. Many times, the focus becomes so content driven that play is forgotten but is so important at this age. Children learn so much through play and we see this every day. Research indicates that children learn best in an environment which allows them to explore, discover, and play. Play is an important part of a developmentally appropriate child care program and our classrooms are all play based throughout our teaching techniques. Play is also closely tied to the development of cognitive, socio-emotional, and physical behaviors.
If any families would like to observe our classrooms on any day, we do have an open door policy and all families are encouraged! We have created a wonderful preschool and pre-kindergarten curriculum for all children to prepare them for a successful future!
We know there are many pre-kindergarten programs in this area, both private and public and families have many choices to choose from. While you consider the best option for your child, here at Four Seasons our teachers help each individual child get ready for kindergarten. Below is information about our program, how it gets the children ready for kindergarten, why our strategies work, and why it is an excellent program!
Starting in our 2.9 class and all the way through pre-k we use programs that build upon each other making each year a success from the start. In our 2.9 classroom they begin using our Learning Without Tears program to draw lines, curves, people. All this helps them be able to start letter formation in the 3/4 year old classroom. The literacy curriculum we use in the 2.9/3s starts with hearing sounds which will help them to recognize rhyming words and exposes them to a whole new world of how language works. Rhyming helps children notice and work with sounds within words. Children begin to anticipate a rhyming word through games, songs, and poems which helps them predict text, another important skill.
In our 3/4 year old classroom, children review rhyming and also work on inferencing; making predictions based on pictures, sequencing, and much more. This will help them to use pictures as clues when they begin to read. Children are also exposed to our Lively Letters program as they learn a letter each week. At our school, we believe that learning the sounds letters make should be taught in a certain order and have found that the Lively Letters Program is an important tool for the children to learn the sounds. We have combined that program with our Learning Without Tears Program which helps them learn the proper way to write the letters. Those that came to Four Seasons Preschool last year came into the class with the background knowledge from the 2.9/3 class knowing how to draw lines and curves. They will now go into our Pre-kindergarten class with the background of learning all of the letters, sounds, and letter formation and will be able to start off reviewing those the first half of the year and move onto sight words, CVC words and early reading strategies. Our children learn from the best programs in a hands on environment to make learning fun.
For Math, our 2.9/3 and 3/4 classroom use a math curriculum that builds upon itself. We feel children must master certain concepts before moving onto the next. We follow a program that helps us incorporate this way of learning through hands on games and activities. In pre-k, we follow a program for math called, Engage New York. Some of the public elementary schools have begun incorporating this program and it has been a huge success. The children go into kindergarten with a great mathematical background and start ahead.
Of course we can’t forget STEM! We have many exciting additions to our STEM curriculum for next year in all classrooms. Pre-k does follow all of the Massachusetts learning standards and the curriculum is based on those for ELA/Literacy, math, science and technology/engineering, and history and social science.
With those standards and our programs we have added through our own research and programs we have purchased, we have created a pre-k curriculum that does stand out. We often hear from kindergarten teachers and parents of kindergarten students, that their children were better prepared for kindergarten. The wealth of knowledge and experiences they participate in at Four Seasons Preschool really sets the stage for a successful educational experience once they get to kindergarten. The size of our small classes also allows the teachers to add so much to their schedules and create learning experiences that might be challenging to add in a larger Pre- Kindergarten classroom.
Most important in this curriculum is for the children to enjoy school and play with each other! A major focus in our curriculum planning is making sure we incorporate play and allow the children to freely use their imagination, something that isn’t seen everywhere. Many times, the focus becomes so content driven that play is forgotten but is so important at this age. Children learn so much through play and we see this every day. Research indicates that children learn best in an environment which allows them to explore, discover, and play. Play is an important part of a developmentally appropriate child care program and our classrooms are all play based throughout our teaching techniques. Play is also closely tied to the development of cognitive, socio-emotional, and physical behaviors.
If any families would like to observe our classrooms on any day, we do have an open door policy and all families are encouraged! We have created a wonderful preschool and pre-kindergarten curriculum for all children to prepare them for a successful future!
