Early Preschool & Preschool - ^{3’s and Young 4’s}

 

Welcome to Preschool! This year will be an exciting new adventure and Stepping Stones is committed to making it a huge success for your child! Our unique program combines planned academic experiences, hands-on learning, exciting enrichment classes and structured play in a safe and caring environment.

Stepping Stones Preschool program thoughtfully blends the natural curiosity children have to explore their environment with a structured, academic-based curriculum. Our experienced preschool teachers provide lessons and activities specifically designed to lay a strong foundation for future academic success.

Literacy, Language and Communication

Children develop literacy by consistently being exposed to oral and written language and building on prior knowledge and language experiences. Stepping Stones curriculum provides your child with invaluable language and writing experiences that are designed to increase vocabulary, improve listening and speaking skills, as well as develop pre-writing and writing skills.

• Reading aloud: Large & small group as well as one-on-one reading activities
• Continue to teach beginning reading skills such as comprehension, phonics, and language
• Phonemic awareness: learned through rhymes, songs and poetry
• Group time and Centers: Learn the relationship between sounds and letters and practice recognizing and distinguishing letters.
• Early writing skills: Sounding out letters and working on “writing” what they hear
• Writing Centers: children are encouraged to express ideas and stories through drawing and illustrating pictures
• Starting with tracing then developing the ability to write letters, numbers, name independently

Math and Science

Math and science are about more than counting and recognizing shapes, even for 3 and 4-year-olds! Our teachers encourage preschoolers to explore math and science concepts they encounter in their everyday interactions with the world. Stepping Stones curriculum promotes observation, discovery and problem solving.

• Children work on classification of objects, serial arrangement, and patterns
• Learn objects have properties and characteristics
• Children are encouraged to think about cause and effect relationships
• Continue to build on beginning math concepts such as numbers, counting and sorting
• Teach science concepts and integrate into creative expression such as art
• Learn about spatial relationships and measurements
• Understand events such as night, day, the movement of objects in the sky, weather, and seasons have patterns

Self-Help skills and Independence

Working on developmentally age appropriate skills- Using the toilet and washing hands, helping setting and clearing table at mealtime, self-feeding, putting on winter outerwear, picking up toys, etc.

Social- Emotional Development

Developing self-awareness, self-concept, sensitivity to the feelings of others, and coping skills are part of a child’s social-emotional development.

• Promote activities that create a sense of self, others, and gender identity
• Praise accomplishments and reinforce positive behavior to increase self-esteem
• Promote an understanding and respect for differences by encouraging children to help others and spark interest in how people in different cultures live
• Support children in sharing, cooperating and being respectful with others
• Teachers use compromise and discussion to resolve conflicts
• Redirection of inappropriate behavior

Enrichment programs

Starting in Early Preschool, Stepping Stones enrichment programs expand to include greater academic experiences. At Stepping Stones we wholeheartedly believe all children should experience these programs without incurring extra costs. As a result, all enrichment programs are included in tuition.

For more information about our Enrichment Programs-Music, Sign Language, Spanish, LANA, Yoga4Kids, and Farm 2 Preschool Click here.

Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds

At Stepping Stones, we understand how busy families are outside of school. Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds was designed to make sure children, while in our care, are provided nourishing meals/snacks, ample opportunities for keeping active, engaging academic lessons and an exceptional environment in which to grow.

• Development of gross (Large muscle) motor skills through climbing, throwing, catching, jumping, running, riding and using playground equipment
• Development of fine motor skills (small muscles) and eye and hand coordination
• Meals are freshly made by our in-house chef, following a Farm to Preschool menu. To see more details about our Farm to Preschool menu Click here.
• Breakfast, Lunch and snacks are eaten family style. Children sit with their teacher and classmates; learn the give and take of conversation, practice table manners and how to serve themselves.

Don’t give up!
I believe in you all.
A person’s a person
No matter how small.

–Dr. Seuss