Programs
“For children, play is as natural as breathing – and as necessary.” -Mimi Brodsky Chenfeld
Multi-age Preschool Class
We offer a 3 day multi-age class that operates Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:30-11:30.
*If our AM class of 6 fills up, we will open a PM session from 12:30-3:30, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
This is the rhythm of an average day:
8:30 Greetings
-Children hang up items in, sign in at the table, then settle in on the carpet with a book and with the teacher and chat together until all children have arrived
8:40 Morning Messages
-Two or three messages about our day, and things to remember will be discussed with the children through text and images on our message board
8:50 Planning Time
-Children intentionally plan what they will do during their work time through various concrete planning time activities
8:45 Work Time
-Children use the items in our classroom and direct their play. The classroom space consists of the toy area(manipulative items), writing area, house area, sensory bins, block area, book area, the art area, and the nature spot. During this time, children learn to work collaboratively, problem solve with materials, gain conflict resolution skills, teachers spend time with individual children building relationships and assisting the children in their most natural state of learning: play.
9:45 Clean Up Time
-Children are responsible and work together with teachers in the clean up process
9:55 Recall
-This is the follow up to Planning Time. Children recall the things that they did during Work Time through a variety of recall activities. This is also a time to reflect on the things that they enjoyed during work time and to talk through any other situations that may have occurred that they would like to discuss
10:00 Snack
-We eat family style with children passing out items such as plates, silverware, cups, and passing around the food. We practice table manners and healthy eating habits during this time as well.
10:10 Large Group Time
-Music and movement, storytelling, circle time games
10:30 Table Time
-This time is tailored to fit the current needs of our children. To begin table time each day, we will visit our letter of the week. Some days Table Time may involve working as a small group at the table. Other days we may leave the table and take part in a large motor activity or a game that we work on together.
10:50 Dress for Outdoors and Outside Time
-We will spend time outside every day learning through play in the gardens, picking from the fruit trees, exploring in the snow, using chalk, large motor painting, running, tossing and kicking balls, digging in the dirt, swinging and swooshing down slides...
11:30 Farewell
What we offer
We support learning in the most natural, developmentally appropriate way possible. We are hands on and into messy, exploratory play! We nurture our students in a Christian environment within my loving home and submerged in the wonder of nature on our little farm.
Our learning environment is engaging and set up for the growth of our 3, 4, and 5 year old students. Our program is rich in literacy. We actively engage children in reading, writing, math, social studies, and science. We believe in the importance of not only daily fine motor development, but also large motor development and accomplish this through active large group time and daily outside time.
We strike a balance between child led and teacher directed. We give the children opportunities to problem solve whenever possible and only step in to assist when it is needed. We have times of our day where the children direct their activities and times where the teacher takes the lead. Much will be learned beyond academics. Children work on listening, cooperating with peers, following directions, living in community, and so much more.
Time spent in nature is very important here at Natural Learners Preschool. You may ask, "Why focus on nature?"
Supports multiple developmental domains. Nature is important to children's development in every major way – intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
Supports creativity and problem solving. Studies of children in schoolyards found that children engage in more creative forms of play in the green areas. They also played more cooperatively. Play in nature is especially important for developing capacities for creativity, problem-solving, and intellectual development.
Enhances cognitive abilities. Proximity to, views of, and daily exposure to natural settings increases children's ability to focus and enhances cognitive abilities.
Improves academic performance. Studies in the US show that schools that use outdoor classrooms and other forms of nature-based experiential education support significant student gains in social studies, science, language arts, and math. Students in outdoor science programs improved their science testing scores by 27%.
Reduces Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) symptoms. Contact with the natural world can significantly reduce symptoms of ADD in children as young as five years old.
Increases physical activity. Children who experience school grounds with diverse natural settings are more physically active, more aware of nutrition, more civil to one another, and more creative.
Improves eyesight. More time spent outdoors is related to reduced rates of nearsightedness, also known as myopia, in children and adolescents.
Improves social relations. Children will be smarter, better able to get along with others, healthier, and happier when they have regular opportunities for free and unstructured play in the out-of-doors.
Improves self-discipline. Access to green spaces and even a view of green settings, enhances peace, self-control and self-discipline.
Reduces stress. Green plants and vistas reduce stress among highly stressed children. Locations with greater number of plants, greener views, and access to natural play areas show more significant results.
(This information is supported by the Natural Learning Initiative. www.naturallearning.org)