The Giraffe Class

This class is our entry level preschool class. It is a blended classroom possibly containing children aged between 3 and 4 years.

Developmental Goals for Preschoolers:

• Initiate interaction with peers and adults
• Express a variety of emotions
• Recognizes self [mirrors, pictures] & understands various body parts
• Comforts self in a variety of ways
• Respond positively to limits and choices
• Explores environment
• Participates in routines and physical activities
• Shows awareness of others feelings
• Walk with increased coordination and balance
• Properly washes hands and can pull up/down on/off clothing
• Follows adult intervention regarding behavior/safety
• Takes pride in own achievements
• Tolerates trial and error to complete a task
• Follows a one-step request
• Attention span to accommodate telling a story
• Makes random marks on paper with various tools
• Can stack blocks, explore balance, motion, and forces
• Responds to various rhythms in music
• Chooses favorites [stories, songs, games etc]
• Quickly re-engages quickly after an outburst
• Plays side-by-side cooperatively with a peer
• Turns pages of a book
• Recognizes their name
• Necognizes some letters and letter sounds
• Recognizes 0 through 10
• Quantifies 0 through 10

The children in this class are just learning to share feelings and communicate. Teachers assist this major developmental task and support the child whose opinions, actions, and thoughts are respected and valued.  The teacher models appropriate language and behavior and give the child the tools to learn negotiation and proper emotional expression.  In this room, the groundwork is laid for emerging academic milestones such as strengthening grip in order to write, learning to sit for a story to increase vocabulary, and inspiring a love for exploration.  The ratio for this class is one teacher for up to twelve students.