Learning Environment
Living Stones curriculum is a creative, child and Bible based Curriculum. We offer a developmental appropriate preschool that provides children with the opportunities to learn, and practice newly acquired skills, where children feel safe , valued , their physical needs are met and where they feel psychologically secure. As children talk and play together in our mix of a curriculum classroom they are growing and learning the word of God as well as their age appropriate developmental needs. Play Organized or free, is the best medium by which a young child learns. Our program has a healthy balance of free and structured group activities, as individual guidance. Social and Emotional It is important for children to have a healthy self-esteem, learning to appreciate who they are and what they have to offer those around them. Through dramatic play, children act out day-to-day situations and explore new things learned from the world around them. Through playing in a group, they learn the need of give and take, and the pleasure derived from doing so. Physical Children need to learn how to take care of themselves. To aid in this, we will be teaching good hygiene, nutrition, and self-control. By self-control, we mean that we will be assisting them learning acceptable behavior, i.e.: sharing, controlling temper, being kind to others and not hurtful. Our means of doing this is by encouraging good behavior and discouraging the negative. Cognitive Through out our daily program, opportunities for cognitive growth are provided. Pre-reading skills are taught and encouraged to develop. We feel that our system of teaching. Counting games and projects are used for foundational math understanding. Dramatic Play This area allows children the opportunity to use their imaginations and "try on" various roles from the adult world. Through play, children try to make sense of the events happening around them and deal with the emotions surrounding them. Social skills grow as children choose definite roles in the "play" of the day whether it be playing House, School, Office,Restaurant or other roles. |
Art Area
Art materials that are freely accessible to children allow them to make choices, interact with a variety of materials, and learn to be thinking and creative. The process of working with the materials is more important than what is actually made. Choices are made as children select paper, particular colors of paint, and experiment with the ways they are applied. Puzzles, Games & Table Top Toys Children enjoy playing with small toys at tables or on the floor. Controlled movements of the fingers and hands enable children to master the muscles necessary for writing. As children work with color and patterns, they develop visual discrimination and memory. When children pretend about things that they have built, they are taking their first steps in the use of symbols which are important as they begin to read and write. Books As children explore books they notice that print goes from left to right and top to bottom. Listening, paying attention, sequencing, and thinking skills are all being used as children enjoy a story. Children become acquainted with new vocabulary words. Science & Math Interest Centers Children can interact with materials on their own or in small groups. Counting shells, sorting leaves by size or shape, and classifying rocks by type are examples of activities young children can do here. Adults provide names of items and ask questions such as: "How are these alike?" "Different?" "Is this bigger?" "Smaller?" Children's interest and knowledge grows as they think about everyday items in new ways. Block Area As a child builds with blocks, they are developing control of the small muscles of fingers and hands as blocks are added to a structure. Perceptions of size, weight, and shape are developing and language skills are growing as children discuss what they are building. Cooperation and planning among children develops as they work together toward a common goal. Music With singing, we learn basic rhythm, using instruments. Music brings on body movement which builds both large and small motor skills, music fills our hearts with a warm feeling. |