Ø  Promote a healthy sense of competence

Ø  Develop social skills in each child

Ø  Encourage the child to think, reason and pose questions

Ø  Foster both receptive and expressive language development

Ø  Enhance each child’s physical development and skills

Ø  Encourage sound safety, health and nutritional practices

Ø  Stimulate the child’s creative expression and appreciation of the art

I recognize the importance of stable and consistent adults in the lives of infants.  Childcare givers are second only to parents in providing the security infant and toddlers need to trust the world around them.  I respect the role of the parent as the most important person in the infant’s life.  Communication and cooperation form the basis for a partnership between parents and the childcare giver in meeting the infant and toddler needs. 

The emotional and physical needs of infants will be consistently and promptly met. 

This includes:

Ø  Talking to, playing with, holding and rocking infants and providing them with the opportunity   to explore outside of their cribs or playpens.

Ø   Immediately investigating the cries of infants

In the activity room there are coloring books, beads, Tinkertoys, puzzles, the children's art supply boxes, scrap paper etc. for the children to use during free play time.  The use of these activities encourages and enhances:

Ø  Cognitive skills: Puzzles, memory games, matching games, etch-a-sketch, coloring, all promote practice in problem solving, logical thinking skills, following directions, sequencing through trial and error.  

Ø  Social /Adaptive: Children work on sharing toys, working space, collaborating with others, and working independently, development of attention span and time on task.  

Ø  Communication: General communication skills of labeling pictures and objects, as well as social communication with peers and adults occur naturally within this setting.

Ø  Motor: Fine motor development and eye hand coordination necessary for pre writing skills.

A specially designed preschool program will be used to introduce and teach preschoolers the basic skills, such as cutting, gluing, coloring, painting, etc.  Social skills and etiquette will also be stressed. 

 
Preschool runs mid-August through May.  Activities included in Preschool are as follows:

  Ø  Thinking and Talking
(a discussion of the day’s theme or unit)
Ø  Games
Ø  Books
Ø  Songs
Ø  Crafts and Creations
Ø  Movement Time/Large Motor Skills

The preschool program is meant for children, ages 2 and up. The younger children can join us for Thinking and Talking, the reading and singing and any other age appropriate activities. There is a theme or two each week that we follow.