Through themed activities like “All About Me” and “Friends,” children learn to respect and care for themselves and others. They work both individually and as part of a team, taking on classroom jobs to understand responsibilities and build self-esteem. Children also learn to assist one another during tasks like clean-up time.

Dramatic play in the kitchen area enhances social skills, while Show and Tell fosters confidence, self-esteem, and language and listening skills.

Teachers plan activities that promote cognitive development. For example, they might help a child discover what happens when blue paint is mixed with red or when a liquid turns into a solid. Other content areas include:

Math

Pre-math skills are introduced through engaging activities such as pattern games, measurement, block play (focusing on balance and stability), sorting, graphing, and cooking.

Science

Science skills are developed through a variety of hands-on experiences, including cooking (transforming liquids to solids), gardening and planting, and exploring the life cycles of butterflies. We also use photography to document our learning and create a nature wall.

Art

Our art projects encourage children to express their imaginations. Using various mediums—such as paint, glue, fabric, and shaving cream—children create their own masterpieces. Through guided activities, like a paper tear collage, they not only produce colorful artwork but also enhance their fine motor skills. Painting at the easel promotes gross motor development as well.

Fine Motor

Children’s fine motor development is supported through manipulatives such as playdoh, crayons, beading, and Legos, in addition to various art activities.

Gross Motor

Gross motor development is fostered through outdoor play, including a climbing gym, movement activities in the classroom, songs, dance, and block play.

Expressive

Children are encouraged to express their thoughts and ideas throughout the day. Teachers listen attentively, engage in meaningful conversations, and expand on what the children say, promoting connections between letter sounds and words through action. Circle time activities foster conversation, while Show and Tell enhances expressive language and voice projection. Children are read to every day, further supporting their language development.

Receptive

Teachers provide a variety of new experiences that expand children’s receptive vocabulary, such as field trips, visits from special guests, and hands-on objects to explore. A rich and varied curriculum enhances children’s conceptual understanding and listening vocabulary.

Alphabet

The alphabet is introduced through songs, stories, and Show and Tell. The 4’s also create an alphabet book filled with art activities, write and draw in their journals, and collaborate on class books. Each of these lessons promotes letter recognition and letter-sound connections.

The 4’s enjoy Music classes twice a week, along with Spanish and Gymtime.

The 4’s visit the Greenburgh Nature Center every year in the fall for apple cidering. Families come together for brunch at the school during the 4’s Thanksgiving Feast, and there is a Holiday Tea, a school-wide event where the 4’s perform. In early spring, the 4’s design and present their own Dinosaur Museum.