Preschool

Welcome to the Preschool Program

The Preschool years (ages three-four) are a special time in the life of young children. During this period, they begin to trust others outside the family. They gain independence and self-control and learn to take initiative and assert themselves in socially acceptable ways. At the same time, they become keen observers of their world and experiment with their surroundings to find out what happens when they interact with other people and handle and maneuver objects and materials. Their language surpasses the limited vocabulary and sentence structure of toddlers.

Preschool children use thousands of words and complex phrases and sentences to communicate. As they learn to understand others and express their ideas more effectively, their environment becomes larger and richer. In addition, the children are changing physically, growing, and gaining strength, agility, and coordination.

The child to adult ratio in Preschool is 9:1. These ratios are maintained throughout the day both inside and outside except at nap time. During nap, staff members take breaks, and the ratio goes up during this two-hour period, but never exceeds state ratios. On field trips we try to lower our child to adult ratios to 2:1 whenever possible. To do this we ask our parents to help chaperone trips.

The Preschool Curriculum

Our Preschool curriculum is based on the book Creative Curriculum. Creative Curriculum develops an environment that helps children gain a sense of trust and belonging. Children are encouraged to explore not only materials, but also their relationships with peers and adults. The environment demonstrates the current interests, strengths, and needs of the children. As the children develop confidence in their own abilities and gain autonomy over their learning, staff and children work together to develop an environment that is rich and reflective of who they are as a community of learners. The Preschool program is also inspired by other philosophies, styles and curriculums such as Reggio Emilia and Waldorf. These teaching styles and philosophies of teaching impact the staff’s everyday interactions with children and the experiences and activities they plan. Art expression is big in Preschool, we celebrate each child’s natural artistic styles. The children are encouraged to create art using recycled items and other open-ended materials to express themselves and their understanding of the world.

Developmentally appropriate activities are planned

The environment changes when our theme or unit changes. (Fall, dinosaurs, transportation etc.) Monthly calendars are sent home to keep you informed of the themes. We try to include every aspect of the room with what we are discussing. If we are talking about transportation, we will have transportation books in the library area. In art we might make different types of vehicles. In dramatic play, we might turn it into a train station and have different types of hats and uniforms for the children to wear. In science, we might look into just how a steam engine operates. In the block area we will create planes, cars, and trains. In music we may learn transportation songs. Your child is learning from every interest center in the room.

To further enhance the Preschool experience, ECYC includes an interactive program that allows them to learn through play. Field trips are scheduled throughout the year. There is an ancillary fee for those activities.