Four Year Old Class
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00-11:30
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 12:30-3:00
children must be 4 by december 1.
The 4-year-old program reinforces all of the three's activities and also focuses on:
Self Help Skills and Social/Emotional Development: The children are encouraged to dress for outside play including putting on and zipping coats. The children begin to learn to share materials and take turns, they are taught correct conflict resolution, to respect the rights of others, and to develop relationships with both children and adults. We help the children to understand the consequences of their actions while in a safe and loving environment.
The children in the fours classes have independent snack. They prepare and eat snack during free choice time. The boys and girls learn to wash their hands before and after snack, get cups and napkins, pour their own juice and serve themselves the snack. They are encouraged to use proper table manners. They learn to clean up their place by throwing away their cups and napkins.
It is their responsibility to pack their “Take Home Folders” and school bags at the end of the day.
Math: The children in our fours classes work on solving simple mathematical problems that involve addition and subtraction using manipulatives. Number sentences, plus signs and minus signs are introduced. The calendar is used extensively for counting, number recognition, and learning the terms, next and last. Pattering, sequencing and shape recognition will be reinforced.
Language Arts: With help from the children’s own hand-made alphabet pages, the alphabet is introduced. The children are encouraged to bring a picture from home that starts with our “Letter of the Week”. We may sing songs, have snacks and read books beginning with that letter. For example, during “A Week,” we may have apples for snack, sing the “A” song, tell an apple story, count apple seeds and do some sort of apple art project. The children practice identifying letters, writing letters (both upper and lower case) and understand what words start with that letter. Jolly Phonics is introduced to teach the children the 42 sounds of the English language and to help develop reading and writing skills to prepare them for Kindergarten. The four year olds will also begin basic sight word identification that correlates with the sight words learned in a Kindergarten Classroom.
As books are read, the children will be encouraged to predict what will happen next in the story and respond to simple questions about the reading materials.
Science: The children will begin to understand basic safety practices and apply these practices. They will be introduced to the forces of nature including wind, gravity and magnetism. They will use scientific tools such as thermometers, balance scales and magnifying glasses for investigation. They will categorize living things and show awareness of changes that occur in their environment. Simple science experiments are performed including growing seeds and learning about the parts of a plant, predicting what will happen when an ice cube is left outside vs. inside the classroom, and watching the metamorphosis as caterpillars change into butterflies.
We hope they will become comfortable asking questions about their world.
Social Studies: We introduce the Pledge of Allegiance and discuss the American Flag. The globe and maps are used the show where we live and vacation and where grandparents or other important people live. Firefighters and other community workers are invited to the classroom to share their careers with the children.
Fine and Gross Motor Development: As children enter the classroom, papers for the day are available to allow them practice time writing their names. The correct pencil hold is encouraged. Lacing and more difficult cutting projects are introduced.
Each day the children spend time outside on the playground or upstairs in the gym. In addition to free play, the children may practice walking on a balance beam, riding a tricycle or playing with a parachute.
Fine Arts: The children’s artwork continues to be their own. Parents are always interested in how the artwork experience expands as their children grow.
Self Help Skills and Social/Emotional Development: The children are encouraged to dress for outside play including putting on and zipping coats. The children begin to learn to share materials and take turns, they are taught correct conflict resolution, to respect the rights of others, and to develop relationships with both children and adults. We help the children to understand the consequences of their actions while in a safe and loving environment.
The children in the fours classes have independent snack. They prepare and eat snack during free choice time. The boys and girls learn to wash their hands before and after snack, get cups and napkins, pour their own juice and serve themselves the snack. They are encouraged to use proper table manners. They learn to clean up their place by throwing away their cups and napkins.
It is their responsibility to pack their “Take Home Folders” and school bags at the end of the day.
Math: The children in our fours classes work on solving simple mathematical problems that involve addition and subtraction using manipulatives. Number sentences, plus signs and minus signs are introduced. The calendar is used extensively for counting, number recognition, and learning the terms, next and last. Pattering, sequencing and shape recognition will be reinforced.
Language Arts: With help from the children’s own hand-made alphabet pages, the alphabet is introduced. The children are encouraged to bring a picture from home that starts with our “Letter of the Week”. We may sing songs, have snacks and read books beginning with that letter. For example, during “A Week,” we may have apples for snack, sing the “A” song, tell an apple story, count apple seeds and do some sort of apple art project. The children practice identifying letters, writing letters (both upper and lower case) and understand what words start with that letter. Jolly Phonics is introduced to teach the children the 42 sounds of the English language and to help develop reading and writing skills to prepare them for Kindergarten. The four year olds will also begin basic sight word identification that correlates with the sight words learned in a Kindergarten Classroom.
As books are read, the children will be encouraged to predict what will happen next in the story and respond to simple questions about the reading materials.
Science: The children will begin to understand basic safety practices and apply these practices. They will be introduced to the forces of nature including wind, gravity and magnetism. They will use scientific tools such as thermometers, balance scales and magnifying glasses for investigation. They will categorize living things and show awareness of changes that occur in their environment. Simple science experiments are performed including growing seeds and learning about the parts of a plant, predicting what will happen when an ice cube is left outside vs. inside the classroom, and watching the metamorphosis as caterpillars change into butterflies.
We hope they will become comfortable asking questions about their world.
Social Studies: We introduce the Pledge of Allegiance and discuss the American Flag. The globe and maps are used the show where we live and vacation and where grandparents or other important people live. Firefighters and other community workers are invited to the classroom to share their careers with the children.
Fine and Gross Motor Development: As children enter the classroom, papers for the day are available to allow them practice time writing their names. The correct pencil hold is encouraged. Lacing and more difficult cutting projects are introduced.
Each day the children spend time outside on the playground or upstairs in the gym. In addition to free play, the children may practice walking on a balance beam, riding a tricycle or playing with a parachute.
Fine Arts: The children’s artwork continues to be their own. Parents are always interested in how the artwork experience expands as their children grow.
