Curriculum

Family Preschool offers gender-balanced classes for children aged 2 to 4 years. Adult-to-child ratios are 1:4 for the 2-year-old children, and 1:5 for the older children. The school day for each class runs from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, with an additional ̉lunch bunchÓ hour offered to 3- and 4-year-old children on select days. Our school year runs from September to May, with many opportunities for contact throughout the summer months.

The Two-year-old Program:

Our 16 two-year-old children share a classroom, with one group of 8 children meeting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (3-day program), and the other group of 8 children on Tuesdays and Thursdays (2-day program). Each group has one teacher, who is assisted each day by a helping parent.

The 3-day program and 2-day program children spend most of their mornings engaged in free play in the classroom, where they may choose from a variety of activities such as a daily art project, reading a book in the quiet area, building with blocks, playing with Play-Doh, or enjoying sand and water play. A brief gathering time gives the children a chance for more structured music and movement play. After snack time, the children spend the final part of the morning on the playground.

The Threes and Fours Program:

Our 24 three- and four-year-old children (12 of each age) share the large classrooms with three staff teachers. Two helping parents assist the teachers each day. Three-year-old children attend school four mornings per week, Tuesday through Friday, while four-year-old children attend all five weekday mornings. Each teacher has 8 children who spend gathering and snack time together. The balance of the day is spent with the larger group of 24. Here, the children are free to play throughout the classrooms and participate in the many center activities the teachers have prepared.

While the teachers and parents are always on hand to help the children when needed, it is the children themselves who direct their play and choose where and how they will explore the classroom and materials. On a typical day, children will be able to play at the sand or water table, build with large or small blocks, create an art project, paint, play dress-up, assemble puzzles, or explore the science project of the day. Some days a woodworking table is available; other days, a special cooking project is offered. After free play and clean up, the children return to their small groups for gathering time. Then, each day ends as it begins, with time spent outside on the playground.