Our Preschool Day
Arrival: Children enter the school building and wait with their classmates and classroom staff until all children have arrived. Together we walk to our classroom and the children complete their arrival routine, including: hanging up their belongings, putting away their folders, and going to our meeting space for quiet reading.
Quiet Reading: Not to be mistaken for Silent Reading! It is a time for the children to choose a book to be enjoyed by themselves, with a friend, or a small group of children and teacher. This is a quiet time for children to begin to settle into their day. Some children prefer some time to themselves as they settle in, while others are ready to share in reading with a teacher or friend.
Meeting: By definition, a meeting is the act of coming together for a common purpose. Our focus here is to build and support our classroom community while developing and improving children’s listening and communication skills. Our meeting times include greeting one another, participating in music and movement experiences, discussing the learning activities for the day, sharing personal announcements and experiences, and supporting one another in solving problems as a community.
Small Groups: Often facilitated by a teacher or therapist, children work collaboratively, and sometimes independently, on an open-ended or skill specific learning activity. Small group activities may take only a few minutes or may extend well beyond if children are deep into their work. Some examples of small group work include: journaling, building with various materials, obstacle course, story dramatization.
Choice: All spaces and materials in the classroom are open for the children to access at this time. Teachers and therapists are attentive and offer support to children as they play and explore the classroom environment at their own pace and choosing. Through choice in play, children develop a sense of autonomy and competence as they communicate their feelings, and negotiate space, ideas, and problems with their peers.
Outdoor Play: Running, jumping, climbing… usually on our playground! We often take discovery walks and explore our beautiful garden space where children can access the mud café and sand & gravel pit.
Story: This is a time for us to come together again as a group. We usually focus on one book over 2-3 days. Children are involved in making predictions, asking and answering questions, retelling, and using props to support their comprehension and engagement.
End of our day: Teachers and children make final announcements regarding their day. Children gather and pack up their belongings. We say goodbye to one another and walk to our classroom bench in front of the school for dismissal.