Overview - 4's/UPK

The Cub Care 4’s program is focused on providing young children with an early opportunity to develop their social, emotional, cognitive and physical skills. These skills will enhance self-esteem and set the foundation for successful learning in any environment and will ease the transition into Kindergarten.

Building strong relationships between Families and Teachers is a key component of success for all our students. Please be sure to share anything that we can do to make you and your child feel comfortable and valued here in our center. We use many methods to connect and communicate with our families, newsletters, emails, remind messages and information posted near the classroom. Teachers are available for a short conversation after class, we suggest scheduling a call or sending an email to ask questions or express concerns about your child’s participation in class activities.

To strengthen your connection with the classroom you many wish to consider joining us for field trips, helping with celebrations, sharing a special talent with the class, or coming in to read a favorite story. Throughout the year we also offer opportunities to come together as families for fun activities like our Thanksgiving feast. It’s a special time to share new learning experiences with each other and our children.

Our Teachers use a theme-based curriculum that is designed to facilitate the introduction of new concepts to the students. In addition to our classroom activities there will be various field trips and visitors to our school that help to enhance learning and create links to real world experiences.

Arrival

At arrival help your child put their coat and other personal belongings in their cubby. Visit the bathroom to attempt to potty and wash hands prior to entering the classroom. The teacher will greet you both and if it is helpful to your child's transition, you are welcome to come into the classroom with your child and help them find their name and place it on the attendance board. If your child is struggling with transitions, consider helping your child select a manipulative activity to work on. Assist them for a minute or two and before you leave be sure to say good-bye and/or I’ll be back soon and I can't wait to hear about your day.

Circle Time

Circle Time is a teacher directed activity time when all the children come together as a group. We talk about the weather outside, the days of the week, and topics related to special events and discuss elements of theme for the week. We use the publications and various stories to enhance our studies. This is when we focus on good listening, verbal expression, comprehension, and association skills. We are also learning about and discussing many important concepts such as recognizing our selves and others as unique individuals. We learn that we have differences and similarities. We learn to caring and considerate of each other by taking turns and listening to each other’s ideas.

Small Group Manipulative Exploration

Manipulative Exploration frequently takes place in small group lessons lead by the teachers for approximately 10 mins each. We use a wide variety of materials designed to introduce concepts such as; sorting, pre-math, investigation, emergent and early literacy, reasoning and problem solving, number and letter recognition, and fine motor and early writing skills. These items will change every few weeks. Some will be related to themes and others are used to focus on specific areas of skill development.

Daily Snack

Snack Time allows for a short break and a nutritious snack to energize us for more learning. It is the time when we learn about good food, socialize with our friends and practice our manners. We also work on learning to set the table, and learning some independence skills such as pouring our own drinks, opening packages and sometimes-even help to prepare the days snack.

Creativity Centers

Creative Play is a special time when the children engage in self directed play where they explore the various activity centers. Centers include Block Building, Dramatic Play, Science, Expressive Art, Reading Area, Writing Table, and Manipulative Play. Included in these areas of exploration are the Water & Sand tables and the Open Art Easel. Special art projects are introduced to allow us to work on pasting, drawing, cutting, painting and a variety of other fine motor skills. Some projects are freeform such as collage and others are a little more directed so we can work on following directions and understanding processes.

Classroom Creativity Centers

Block Building teaches children a variety of skills including math, creativity, problem solving and social skills. Our center includes a variety of block types and props that the children use to create their structures.

In the Dramatic Play Area, children will explore real world situations. Our Dramatic play area is not limited to only a kitchen and dress up closet, it may be transformed into a grocery store, restaurant, hospital, fire station, or pet shop. The options are endless. Social development and awareness are a major part of dramatic play.

The Science Area is where we will explore our senses, the earth, outer space, etc. We can perform simple experiments. The children will learn how the world around them works. They will be encouraged to work individually and in-groups.

Expressive Art is a place where children are offered a variety of materials to use in any way their imagination can come up with. Art here is for self-expression and gives children and outlet for unrestrained creativity. There’s no wrong way here!

The Reading Area is a quiet place where children can look at picture and storybooks, listen to pre-taped stories, or see the books that we have created together as a class with pictures of our activities. Language development is a crucial component of our program.

Manipulative Play includes games, puzzles, and a chance to play with the manipulatives that were available during the first 20 minutes of class. Again these activities focus on the core skill areas, math, language, small motor skills, classification. etc.

The Writing Area is key to the development of the fine motor skills. We use a variety of materials and techniques; clay, pens, pencils, markers, laminated tracing boards, our own name sheets, and wooden shapes to create letters and to trace are just a few of the tools that are introduced here. We also work on the proper way to hold our writing tools, how to form our letters and writing from left to right.

Gym or Outdoor play

Gym or Outdoor Play will center on large motor growth and coordination. Large motor activities are important to the development of the 4-year-old child. Using a wide variety of equipment we work on catching, throwing, hopping, skipping, balance, hand-eye coordination and other skills. In addition to our outdoor play space we have an indoor gym equipped with climbers, mats, bikes and assorted equipment in which to play when the weather is cold and rainy.

Closing, song, story, etc…

Closing Activity we learn new songs and finger plays or read a story. We talk about our day or what we’ll do tomorrow. Toward mid year we will begin to learn how to put on our own coats & hats.

Dismissal

Dismissal we wait for you to arrive and the teacher to call our name. Each child will take their name off the attendance board and put it away until tomorrow. Together you will collect all the important notes and artwork from your child’s cubby. This is a great time to ask about their day!

Throughout the year our teachers are observing the children to determine how their skills are progressing. These individual observations are compiled to create each child’s Developmental Goals Assessment. Rating scales that we use to monitor their progress against the standards for their age group. There are many factors to look at during these assessments; chronological age does not automatically determine social-emotional age. We must remember that every child develops at a different rate in each skill area. It is not uncommon for the same child to be advanced in some skill areas, while other skills are delayed, and most are age appropriate.

We generally meet with parents twice during the year to talk about our observations with you and to give you an opportunity to share your observations with us. Together we can work on plans to assist children in areas where there might be delays so that they are ready to enter school next year. We try to hold our second conferences prior to the Kindergarten screenings so that you have a better idea of your child’s performance levels going into this process.

As a parent you also may request a conference with the teacher at any time during the school year. If you have any concerns or are looking for information about additional or supplemental activities that you can do to reinforce classroom lessons we will be happy to assist.

Parents & Teachers make a Great Team!