Our class schedule provides:

• For structured time for coming together as significant and participating members of a group.
• And unstructured time for exploring interest centers and for making choices based on individual interests and emerging skills.
• For informational time for concept development and skill building.
• And creative time to express thoughts and feelings through art, movement and music.
• For indoor time to learn, to explore, and to create.
• And out door time where our playgrounds are also places to explore, to learn, to create and to release exuberant energy through large muscle activities.
  

Our classroom interest centers are planned and prepared to encourage learning through direct personal experiences. They include:

• Cognitive Center
  Manipulatives in this learning center are typically puzzles and other problem solving devices as well as objects of varying shapes, colors, and sizes for sorting, matching and classifying. These materials assist in the development of thinking and problem solving skills as well as concept development. They also provide opportunities to practice fine and visual motor tasks.
• Art Center
  Our art center provides a variety of art materials to be used during free choice time and also in teacher directed activities. (Children transform feelings through art and therefore it is the process which is important, not the product.
• Large Block/Construction Toy Center
  This center includes large wood, heavy cardboard and foam blocks, construction sets and a variety of people and animal figures. Unstructured play things give children opportunities to express their fantasies, to interact with other children and to build problem solving skills through representational play.
• Reading Center
  This center provides a quiet place where children can retreat to peruse books, listen to tapes or simply observe.

Our classroom activities are planned to help the child to develop a sense of self as a competent and unique individual and as a valued member of the group. They enhance learning and social skills and provide rich and varied opportunities for language development. We provide time in our daily schedule for:

• Circle
  The class comes together for large group participation. In addition to being inherently enjoyable to most children circle time activities promote listening and language skills and help in building attention spans. Activities include:
  • Literature - stories, poems, nursery rhymes presented with books, puppets and flannel boards.
  • Finger play
  • Music
  • Rhythm and creative movement
  • Birthday celebrations
• Small group
  Small group activities allow children and teachers a greater intimacy than a large circle. Small group is a time for:
  • Activities and games that re-inforce thinking and learning skills
  • Stories, creative dramatics and role playing
  • Working on a group project
  • Sharing thoughts, feelings and possessions
• Snack time
  Snack time is a time for coming together in an informal group in which social skills and self-help skills may be practiced.
• Gross Motor Activities
  We understand that good body control promotes a sense of well being. We believe that well planned gross motor activities help to develop self control as well. We provide a regularly scheduled gymnastics program for all 3yr and 4 yr. olds enrolled at Montecito Preschool, Inc.