Our four year old program prepares children with kindergarten readiness, for a smooth transition into school. Social and academic development is promoted through a balance of self-directed and teacher-directed activities. During the school year, themes such as transportation, animals, and family are incorporated into our art, drama, math and language activities. The drama play center often reflects these themes. Children enjoy dramatic play; whether it is pretending to organize and recycle materials, nursing a sick patient, or replaying a favorite story book. Educational research continuously reveals socio-dramatic play helps develop cognitive-creative skills and socio-emotional areas. Later gains and academic success has been directly linked to a child's ability to engage in socio-dramatic play. Research indicates increased gains are in areas of: verbalization, vocabulary, comprehension, problem solving skills, curiosity, seeing from another point of view, higher intellectual competence, peer cooperation, empathy, imagination and longer attention spans. Thus, children's play is truly their work. It is our desire to offer children many creative, fun opportunities to develop their social, emotional, cognitive, and intellectual skills, which prepare them for elementary school and beyond.