Little Luker Program of Study

LITTLE LUKER PROGRAM OF STUDY 2023-24 School Year

INTRODUCTION The Preschool follows the guidelines of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and is focused on providing an environment that emphasizes play and social-emotional development. Through intentionally planned activities and learning center experiences, Little Luker teachers facilitate the development of cognitive, expressive, and receptive communication skills, as well as fine and gross motor skills. We recognize that children learn as much through their interactions with each other as they do through their play, socialization, and small group experiences. We highly value this as part of our curriculum and our goal is to help our youngest children discover the value and love of learning.

PLAY

Play is the foundation of everything we do. Play and learning occur simultaneously—they are not separate entities. We believe that child-initiated play is also the foundation for healthy growth and learning in a range of areas, from gross and fine motor skills to the development of imagination, social skills, creative problem solving, and language development. This groundwork is laid unconsciously through play as future academics will be built on these play experiences.

Unstructured Play

Structured Play

Unstructured play is open-ended with no set goal

Structured play has a specific goal and set of rules

and unlimited possibilities. Children engaged in

and objectives. During structured play, children

unstructured play are in the process of

are seeking the most effective way to achieve pre-

establishing their own objectives:

existing objectives.

Painting and drawing on blank paper

Music and movement

Dough/clay modeling and collage activities

Indoor games such as morning manipulative

Dramatic play and block construction

activities, matching, puzzles, tic tac toe

Sand and water play - sensory play

Outdoor games such as red light, green light,

Imaginative and energetic outdoor play

tag, etc.

MATHEMATICS

The use of the Messy Maths resource allows for investigation, inquiry, and a hands-on minds-on approach to help students build an awareness of the relevance of math in daily life. This will support each child’s curiosity and interest in many areas of mathematical thinking. Our Tinker Lab/Maker Space is utilized to introduce STEM-based activities through hands-on minds-on activities.

By the end of Little Luker, students will be able to:

In addition, students will:

Developing Number Sense

Shapes and Colors

Build an understanding of more and one-to-

Recognize basic shapes (circle, square, and

one correspondence

triangle)

Count by rote to 5

Recognize primary colors (red, yellow, and

Build understanding of between, quantity,

blue)

and size

Solve simple jigsaw puzzles and matching

Begin to understand relationships between

similar shapes

objects

Sort and classify basic colors and shapes Tinker Lab/Maker Space Visit bi-weekly for intriguing, creative, collaborative activities around STEM

LANGUAGE, LITERACY, AND WRITING

Students are immersed in language and literacy through a richly integrated, multisensory approach. Children enjoy listening to stories, and manipulating sounds and rhymes to enhance their experiences. Helping our youngest students discover the use, value, and love of language is our goal.

By the end of Little Luker, students will be able to: Speaking and Expression

In addition, students will: Sing songs and rhymes

Provide play situations to promote social

Tell stories for vocabulary expression and

aspects of language development

comprehension

Participate in conversations with adults and

Contribute to group discussions

peers

Follow multi-step directions

Speech is understood by most familiar adults

Listen to books and stories for a short time

Express wants and needs

Begin tracing shapes and own name with

Speak using complete sentences

magic window

Draw with intentionality

Build vocabulary in an effort to facilitate

Hold writing material with pincer grip

conversation

SOCIAL STUDIES Through the lens of our mission statement and the Formative Five students investigate themes related to geography, history, cultural studies as well as current events.

By the end of Little Luker, students will be able to: Formative Five

In addition, students will: Develop a sense of community in both

Understand the concepts of the Formative

the classroom and school

Five: Empathy, Grit, Integrity, Self-control and

Understand and recognize familiar

Embracing Diversity

locations and routines that take place at

Neighborhood and Community

school

Learn about each other's families and cultures

Speak and play-act about those who live

Demonstrate an understanding of community

and work in the neighborhood

helpers and their jobs Holidays, Celebrations, and Traditions Share Information about the holidays/traditions celebrated by their own family Participates in weekly chapel services Discuss and learn about unique cultures and diversity in our GSL community Through read-aloud, discuss and learn about holidays, and cultures from around the world

SCIENCE/OUTDOOR CLASSROOM

Our outdoor space is a certified Natural Wildlife Habitat by Natural Wildlife Federation.

The outdoor classroom offers many different areas that children can explore: garden beds, mud kitchen, log stools for meetings, dramatic play and arts, and a shaded pergola.

During this time students have the opportunity to learn more about nature and the world around them.

By the end of Little Luker, students will be able to:

In addition, students will:

Recognize that the weather changes with the

Experience planting flowers in the outdoor

seasons

classroom

Understand that they have 5 senses that can help them explore their surroundings

Tinker Lab/Maker Space

Explore a variety of sensory experiences which

Visit bi-weekly for intriguing, creative,

heightens their awareness of the world around

collaborative activities around STEM

them and builds on their inquiring nature

LIBRARY Library classes are designed to introduce our youngest children to the school library and to foster a lifelong love of books and reading. Read aloud include songs, movement, puppets, and other means to create engagement and enthusiasm. Books selected include bright illustrations, repetitive texts, rhyming, pop-up pages, and lift-the-flap designs.

Additional books are selected to support the Formative Five traits and promote selfesteem and kindness.

By the end of Little Luker, students will be able to:

In addition, students will:

Fully participate in the group read aloud

Participate as the class tries to predict events

Identify some colors, shapes, and numbers

within a story as it unfolds

within books

Demonstrate an understanding of how to hold

Answer basic “who, what, where” questions

and care for books

related to books read Demonstrate a basic understanding that stories have a beginning, middle, and ending

SPANISH

For young children, acquiring a new language comes naturally. At this age, the brain is wired for learning new language skills. Children will explore the Spanish language through music, games, and stories.

By the end of Little Luker, students will be able to:

In addition, students will:

Use greetings appropriately (hello/goodbye)

Be exposed to the rhythms and sounds of the

Identity primary colors and numbers 1-5

Spanish language

Identify music or songs in the target language

Listen and respond to interactive Read-

State the names of familiar animals with

Alouds

visual support

Learn about seasonal vocabulary, customs, and holidays from Hispanic culture

MUSIC AND MOVEMENT

Musik Adventures curricula engage the children in weekly activities that encourage multisensory learning, stimulating multiple areas of the brain at once. We focus on different musical concepts throughout the year, introduce the students to different musical genres and styles that help foster a lifelong love and appreciation for music. And when young children are consistently engaged with music in an age-appropriate, socially accepting environment, developmental benefits multiply. We see an increase in selfesteem, ability to take turns, fine and gross motor skills, and literacy - just to name a few!

By the end of Little Luker, students will be able to:

In addition, students will:

Singing and Vocal Development

Ensemble Experiences

Participate in singing songs with repeated

Learn to participate in a small group of

words and rhythm

musicians playing at a certain time and learn

Movement

how to keep a steady beat

Act out musical stories through movement

Exploring and playing a variety of musical

Stomp and clap to the music which helps

instruments

them to understand the space their body

Learn to hold a mallet, hit a drum, use

occupies and its capabilities

shakers, and play the xylophone and other

Focused Listening Identify a range of orchestra instruments and their sound quality Hear patterns and rhymes

instruments to help increase fine and gross motor skills

DISCOVER ME (MINDFUL EDUCATION) Discover ME stories, discussions, and activities teach children specific skills and strategies on what they can do to manage their own behavior. Discover ME is designed to teach children at an early age how to learn by teaching these essential skills that have a positive influence on learning – impulse-control, self-awareness, how to pay attention and listen, how to focus, be present, and breathe with intention. These skills not only facilitate learning but encourage skills and strategies that equip children with the ability to take control of their own lives by CHOOSING positive words and actions.

By the end of Little Luker, students will:

In addition, students will:

be introduced to techniques of Mindfulness

Make mindful choices

(flower, candle, breath, “Calm Your Glitter”

Resolve conflicts peacefully

Jar) Begin to manage their own behavior Begin to take responsibility for their actions Stop and think about the consequences for what they choose to say and do