From a first attachment to family, expanding to connections with classroom teachers, and eventually peers, children's social circles grow as they learn to trust the people around them. These relationships provide children the security to explore their world and seek out new experiences and opportunities.
Emotional growth leads to children developing a sense of self as well as an understanding of the feelings and actions of others. Healthy expression of emotions and self-efficacy follow from a careful fostering of these areas. Having a safe environment to experience feelings lead to children who are kind, empathetic, and considerate.
Our teachers scaffold interactions by using an emotional vocabulary to guide children through the stages of play (solitary, parallel, and cooperative). We teach children effective conflict resolution skills by using language and modeling healthy interactions.
IMAGINE. STIMULATE. CREATE.
Cognitive skills for the preschool child include symbolic representation, problem solving, and critical thinking. Our students practice these skills in our block and dramatic play centers, through responding to stories, and while playing with puzzles and table top toys.
The teachers at York Avenue Preschool are Early Childhood Educators who understand that cognition is not an isolated concept, but grows through dynamic interactions with peers, adults and the environment. Teachers appropriately challenge each child's individual strengths and abilities.
LISTEN. THINK. UNDERSTAND.
The development of language during the preschool years consists not simply of more words and longer sentences. The acquisition of pragmatic skills that enable the child to communicate effectively and appropriately in a variety of social settings is a large part of their growth. Our classrooms afford children the opportunity to practice and expand upon their expressive and receptive language skills. Interactive circle times, stories, pretend play, and development of the children’s individual interests allow for a language-rich curriculum model.
Speaking, reading and writing are dynamically linked in children’s development. One of the most influential ways to assist this development is through intentional instruction. Our teachers ensure that all aspects of the classroom are literacy rich. A literacy-rich classroom is one that promotes interest in reading and writing but also encompasses areas of listening, speaking and viewing. We incorporate writing/drawing centers, relevant classroom libraries, and environmental print into our rooms to surround children with opportunities to explore different forms of pre-literacy.
FOCUS. MOVE. PLAY.
At York Avenue Preschool we place a high priority on physical development in both of our state-of-the-art gyms, the outdoor playground, and in the classrooms.
Gross motor skills refer to activities that involve the use of the large muscles of the neck, trunk, arms and legs. Our gym coaches work with the children on coordination and endurance to support large muscle and core strength.
Fine motor skills involve more precise movements of small muscles, especially those of the eyes, speech musculature, hands, fingers, feet and toes. Movements such as grasping, releasing, pinching and writing are considered to be fine motor activities. In our classrooms, we provide children with many opportunities to hone these skills by incorporating activities such as stringing beads, playdough, gluing, cutting, and drawing, which require the eyes to direct the hands.