We offer a comprehensive curriculum that sparks a passion for learning. Classroom studies challenge our students' natural curiosity, guide them in their personal growth, and cultivate self-motivation and responsibility. Through both traditional and hands-on learning experiences, our students build on basic skills to expand their intellectual abilities. In the process, they become critical thinkers who question assumptions about the world around them. Our curriculum celebrates diversity and fosters each student's sense of self; it also promotes a sense of responsibility to the concerns of the community and the world beyond. A balance between group work and individual learning is maintained. Each child will be taught as an individual, and moved along at his or her own pace. The program emphasizes both foundational skills and higher-level thinking skills, since analysis, synthesis, and critical thinking require factual knowledge, organizational skills, and basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics.

SCIENCE CONCEPTS
Science in the Preschool means exploring, discovering, and developing awareness of the world around them and of events that are not directly related to oneself. Science is also taking things apart, watching wheels go around, seeing how sand and water move, exploring, experimenting, and being curious, and asking questions.
In the Preschool classes, children study the natural sciences by growing and caring for plants, observing growth in themselves and others, and following the weather. Preschool science study consists of concrete experiences. When children cook or bring ice into the room and watch the changes, they are studying the physical sciences and gain an understanding of changes and properties. Other science activities include using magnets, color wheels and magnifying glasses. As the children explore, their observations lead to "scientific" guesses and predictions and eventually to finding ways to record their observations.

MATH
As soon as a child thinks of himself or herself (one) and others (more than one), the child is beginning to understand and learn math. Mathematics is a way of ordering and thinking about the world. It is much more than learning to count and to read and write numbers. Preschool math is all about grasping mathematical concepts through knowledge of objects discovered by experience and observation.
When children play in the classroom using manipulative toys, building in the block area, setting the table, taking only two crackers for snack, following a recipe chart, and playing in the sandbox or water table, they are developing mathematical skills and concepts, including:

• Sequencing - how to put things in order
• Matching - what is alike and what is different
• Sorting and grouping
• Patterns - creating and noticing them
• One to one correspondence - comparing the number of items in two sets
• Part/whole relationships
• Spatial relationships
• Time
• Number concepts
• Serration - comparing (big-small, heavy-light, etc.) and arranging things in order and describing the relationship between them.

SOCIAL STUDIES
Social Studies encourage preschoolers to explore the world around them. Children begin a journey of discovery as they learn about their classroom community. They learn classroom routines and rules, and begin to understand how to function as a group. They work to recognize the similarities and differences among classmates.
By exploring a variety of ethnic cooking activities, reading stories, listening to music, and watching Preschoolers discover the many wonderful differences and common threads that bind individuals together in the classroom and in the world.

LANGUAGE ARTS
Language Arts involve using and developing spoken language and developing an understanding that written symbols represent language and can be used to communicate. Preschool children learn to express themselves verbally and build their vocabulary through stories, books, dramatic play, circle time, and drawing. Language is valued as a positive, productive way to solve problems that may occur in the classroom. As children play, look at books, are read to, and learn to control and predict their environment, they develop and use many of the skills necessary for learning reading. Without this foundation, the later, more abstract skills will be difficult to learn.

A child's development moves from the large to the small. In developing visual discrimination, a child will first see and recognize a three-dimensional object, then a representative symbol, then letters, and finally words.
Teachers' monitor and guide children through the following areas to ensure that children develop the necessary skills as they play and explore:

*Large motor coordination - moving through space with control, body-spatial awareness
*Fine motor coordination - how the child manipulates materials (building, puzzles, art activities, dressing)
*Visual discrimination - the similarities and differences between what the child sees
*Auditory discrimination - the similarities and differences between what the child hears
*Sorting, matching - how the child puts things together in groups and classifies them, recognizing what attributes the objects do and do not have in common
*Sequencing - what comes before, after, next; the logical order of things
*Use of oral language - how the child is able to communicate with the spoken word
*Ability to answer questions and follow verbal directions
* Ability to remember previous events and use that information
*Memory
*Observation of details

Children also learn as they see and hear adults read, write, and converse. Spontaneous and meaningful situations occur throughout the day for the children and adults in the class to read, write, and listen to each other - enriching the children's language skills.

ART AND MUSIC
Art is a form of communication as natural to children as talking. Creating, experimenting, and learning go hand in hand. Art is exploratory and provides the child with a focus on objects outside himself. It is a source of immediate experience and does not need to be planned or purposeful. Preschool children engaged in art activities are developing the following skills:

*Fine motor coordination
*Awareness of color, shape, size, and texture
*Understanding of spatial relationships
*Awareness and understanding that symbols have meaning
*Developing self-expression and emotional outlets

Music is to make, to use, and to enjoy. It is a direct experience that is a part of each Preschool day. We sing every day during circle time and listen to a diverse collection of music at various times during the day. As children sing and do finger plays, they use their imaginations and improve coordination. They develop an appreciation for the patterns and the musical variety produced by rhythms and melodies. Most important at this age, they learn to simply love music and find joy in participating and listening.

DRAMATIC PLAY
Dramatic play allows children many opportunities to use their imaginations in a variety of ways. This kind of play is fun and an extremely important part of a child's growth and development. It is here that children can:

*Imitate the adults in their lives
*Play out real life roles
*Reflect the relationships and experiences in their lives
*Express their needs
*Release unacceptable impulses in a safe way
*Reverse the roles usually taken
*Mirror their growth
*Work out problems and experiment with solutions

Children are developing an awareness of their bodies and their position in the space around them. The ability to move through space with skill, care, thought, and imagination is a learning process for children as they gain control of their own bodies.
In the classroom, the children learn what is safe and appropriate to do with their bodies in that space. In dance, they learn many different ways to move through the room, exploring a variety of themes and music.

READING READINESS
Reading readiness has many different meanings to people. Everything that is done in the class is the prelude to their reading skills. Our approach for the younger children is to give them every opportunity to fall in love with books and reading without them knowing they are learning. Themes are used weekly to expose your child to the world around them. Each theme is based on the letter of the week. As the child developmental grows, the skills begin to become more involved. They are always exposed to the written word, through labeling and stories. The older child will be also experiencing an exciting thematic approach to learning. This will include an alphabet unit, math, science, art and cooking units.