Individualized teaching is stressed so that each child is allowed to progress at his own speed. Cognitive and social growth is recognized in the child’s development. The value of the "total child" is all-important.

"Play is children’s work"

Playing is the child’s way of learning. Through exploring, relating their world to the adult world, working co-operatively with others and reliving experiences, children learn.

Play and discovery can also serve the purpose of academic awareness. Early childhood is a time to introduce children to elementary concepts in social studies, math, reading, writing and science. By physical involvement with manipulative devices, matching similarities and discriminating differences, children learn.

We therefore incorporate into our program

Click on each one to learn more.

Group Living: The child works with children his own age in a variety of activities: drawing, painting, cutting, pasting and especially sharing ideas.

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Physical Activity: In fair weather, playground equipment is used as an aid in large muscle and motor development. When we must stay inside, we do exercises, use an indoor play gym, balance beams and boards to develop general coordination and take part in active games and music. Children attend Fun Time, a physical education/creative movement class once per week.

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Snacks and Rest: Mid-morning snacks for the children are provided by parents on a weekly rotating basis. We urge parents to do this inexpensively and nutritionally. Teachers and room mothers coordinate this. Birthdays are coordinated into this schedule. Please notify your child’s teacher of any food allergy. Rest periods may be observed daily for relaxation, self-renewal and evaluation.

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Music: Children sing with their teachers, listen and sing along with CD’s and records, respond rhythmically to songs and play rhythm band instruments in the classroom. All children also attend special music classes once a week where they sing and interact with our music teacher.

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Cultural Arts: Cultural events such as musicians, dancers, storytellers, magicians, etc. constitute an important addition to a well-rounded program. The children will have the opportunity to attend cultural arts programs in Smith Hall. Most events are sponsored by Young Audiences of Atlanta.

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Learning Center: The Learning Center provides an enriching alternative to free play in the classroom. Each child will have the opportunity to visit the Learning Center one or two times per week. The center will incorporate a computer center, transportation center, block center, listening center and seasonal games.

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Language Experience: Stories, verse, conversation and dramatization are used each week to aid in language development. We feel that good speaking and listening skills are basic to good language development. We read to our children daily, aware that poetry and rhyming words help teach phonics.

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Free Choice Time: The child has his own choice of an area in which to spend a portion of time for his own self-development.

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Field Trips: Field trips may be taken to give the child first-hand information about his surroundings. Some of these include a farm, the Post Office, nature trails and walking trips. Some classes visit the Center for Puppetry Arts and the Atlantic Symphony.

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Routine: The routine of the child’s day at school offers him stability and security.

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Readiness Program: The program helps the child make an easy transition into kindergarten and first grade work. He is taught left-to-right eye movement, eye-hand coordination, rhyming words, reading of pictures and recognition of likes and differences in picture cards. He child is taught the concept of numbers 0 to 10, learning to recognize the alphabet by sight and sound, to spell and write his name and recognize simple sight words. A comprehensive phonics program is introduced at the four-year-old level in which phonetic skills, word attack skills and comprehension are emphasized.

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Religious Education: A variety of activities are carefully selected to stimulate the child’s awareness of God and His love. The Christian way of life is taught in the everyday experience of living and working together. Bible stories and verses are also used in our unit work. Children attend chapel once a week in our church sanctuary where they listen to a Bible story, sing religious songs and pray. It is a brief ecumenical service, conducted by our Kindergarten Director or church staff.

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Fun Time: Children attend a special physical education class once a week with our Fun Time teacher. Gross motor skill development is emphasized as well as cooperative play with classmates.

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Special Events: Special events are planned in culmination of selected units of work. Our Thanksgiving Feast and Patriotic Parade are two of these special times that we share with our parents and friends. Also planned for this year are a Christmas program, a Spring program and other "Special Days".

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