Our 2s & young 3s program has 12 to 15 children and two to three teachers; a ratio of 1 teacher for every 4-6 students. Our focus throughout the year is developing language and communication skills, particularly as they relate to sharing, problem solving and making friends. Our tables and interest areas are designed to promote and encourage conversation and interactions between the children and adults, while they explore the surroundings and materials offere

Our 3-4 year-old program has 15 to 18 children and four teachers. The program for three and four year old children focuses on listening and social skills.

The classroom is organized into interest areas, including blocks, dramatic play, science and sensory, reading, math, writing and art. These areas are designed to allow children’s activities to overlap between areas. For example, children might use the writing center to create signs for the airport they built in the block area, or to make lists for a turn to paint at the easel. When possible, we arrange the room to allow the children to preserve their work throughout the day, letting children know that their work is valued, and giving them opportunities to reflect on, adapt, and extend their efforts.

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons we offer Passport to Adventure. This is an opportunity for children to be introduced to the Spanish language by a native Spanish-speaking teacher through games, music and stories. The program also includes an introduction to food, customs and celebrations, music, sports, and maps. Additionally, we introduce famous artists and their native countries such as Bertha Medina from Peru, Diego Rivera from Mexico and Pablo Picasso from Spain. The focus will be on how each individual developed into an artist and his or her different artistic styles. Children will create a “passport” in their yearlong adventure as they travel through countries where Spanish is the primary language. We begin each month by taking a “trip,” boarding a simulated airplane (seatbelts and all) and disembark through the customs station where their passports are “officially” stamped. Circle Time includes many children’s stories and songs from each of the Countries represented, and Zoo-phonics, an animal based phonics program (in your choice of Spanish or English). The children will participate in Table Time practicing kindergarten readiness skills and making Zoo-phonics puppets for either the English or Spanish phonics programs. They will enjoy a cooking project every other week and will plant a “salsa garden.” As in all of our programs, there will be plenty of free time outdoors and indoors to explore the environment, sensory, science and math activities and manipulatives.

On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, we offer Young Explorers. Children will journey through four different themes and each expedition will be about ten weeks long. Your child will explore: 1. Art Around the World: A trip to six different countries: France, Italy, India, Russia, Scotland, and Japan. The program will include an exploration of language, food (cooking projects), clothing and customs. In addition, the children will learn about a famous artist from these foreign lands and create their own art using different media and styles, including paints, pastels, sculptures, mobiles and collages. 2. Stories Come to Life: Stories from classics to newer popular books will be read and retold through felt stories, puppets, music and drama. The children will construct costumes and props, and then perform the story. Every other week, we will have a cooking project related to our story. The last two weeks will focus on self-awareness, differences, bullying and teasing. These concepts will be taught through books, music, a family project, art and exploration at the sensory table. Some of the books include Corduroy (three versions), The Five Little Monkeys (jumping, teasing and rolling), Caps for Sale, If You Give a Pig a Pancake, Pancakes and Where the Wild Things Are. 3. Young Scientists: A journey through different science topics including gravity (planes, parachutes, rockets, ramps), concoctions (acid + a base = gas, slime and gak, and bubbles), magnets, static electricity, weather (clouds, rain, snow and sun) and germination (soil and seeds). The concepts will be introduced through discussion, hands-on experiments and art. 4. Nature Explorers: An exploration of the great outdoors. To stimulate and reinforce children’s curiosity of nature, they will learn through hands-on activities, stories, songs and art. We hope to inspire knowledge of and a concern for protecting and preserving our natural resources and wildlife. We will include Pond Life – plants, frogs, turtles, fish, dragonflies/insects, ducks, birds and pollution; Ocean Life – starfish, sea turtles, sharks, sea otters, whales, sea horses, seaweed, global warming and beach safety; Backyard Bugs and the Edible Garden – snails, worms, butterflies, ladybugs and other good and bad bugs for the garden; and learn to grow and harvest vegetables.