Holly House uses the Pocket of Preschool curriculum as a guide for kindergarten readiness. It is play based and developmentally appropriate.
Young children learn best through play. Many of our learning activities are based around games and playing.
Literacy
We love books! All of our learning centers have books in them related to the topic we are focusing on. For example, the block center will have books about construction and building, the science center may have books about dinosaurs, butterflies or seeds. Many items are labeled in the classroom and the writing center always has a Word Wall filled with words that correlate with our current classroom learning theme.
Math
Numbers are all around us. We strive to have children recognize this and make children aware of how much we use math in everyday life. Opportunities abound for recognizing numbers, counting and understanding math concepts such as more or less, smaller and larger, weights and measures and patterns. We weave number concepts into our daily routine.
Science
Exploring the outdoors and the world of nature are integral parts of our day. We go outside each day for both recess and exploration. We dress for the weather and go out no matter the weather and stay for recess inside only when it is unsafe. Holly House has its own school garden filled with flowers, vegetables and herbs. The children truly enjoy watching things grow and are responsible for the planting and care of the garden. Vegetables from the garden are used in our weekly cooking sessions. We also have bird feeders and bird houses and will be selecting a classroom friendly pet.
Social Skills
Preschool is often a child's first step into the world alone. New social skills are need to navigate new social situations. Holly House strives to create a safe learning environment in which a child may learn interpersonal skills that are used both in and out of the classroom. Instructors model behavior and assist children in recognizing emotions and how to handle them. Sometimes big emotions are hard to handle for little ones and we seek to offer lessons on how to work things out.
