LITTLE SAINTS PROGRAM OF STUDY
2024-25 School Year
INTRODUCTION
The Preschool follows the guidelines of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and provides an environment that emphasizes play and social-emotional development. Through intentionally planned activities and learning center experiences, Little Saints 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 the foundation for healthy growth and learning in various 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, and future academics will be built upon these play experiences.
Unstructured Play
Unstructured play is open-ended with no set goal and unlimited possibilities. Children engaged in unstructured play are in the process of establishing their own objectives.
Painting and drawing on blank paper
Dough/clay modeling and collage activities
Dramatic play and block construction
Sensory play
Imaginative and energetic indoor/outdoor play
Structured Play
Structured play has a specific goal and set of rules and objectives. Children seek the most effective way to achieve pre-existing objectives during structured play.
Music and movement
Indoor games such as manipulative activities, matching, and puzzles
Outdoor games such as red light, green light
MATHEMATICS
The learning of math and number concepts should begin early in life. Math for toddlers is introduced informally and naturally as opportunities come up. Math is learned in a meaningful context when teachers count with children during daily routines, such as diapering and mealtime. Singing math songs and chanting rhymes help with learning math concepts. Our Tinker Lab/Maker Space is utilized to introduce STEM-based activities through hands-on minds-on activities.
By the end of Little Saints, students will be able to:
Developing Number Sense
Build an understanding of more and one-toone correspondence
Demonstrate number sense when listening to math songs and chants
Build an understanding of the sequence of daily events
Begin to understand relationships between objects
In addition, students will: Shapes and Colors
Begin to recognize basic shapes (circle, square, and triangle)
Begin to recognize primary colors (red, yellow, and blue)
Enjoy simple jigsaw puzzles and matching similar shapes
begin to sort and classify basic colors and shapes
Tinker Lab/Maker Space
Visit bi-weekly for intriguing, creative, collaborative STEM-based activities
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 Saints, students will be able to:
Speaking and Expression
Provide play situations to promote social aspects of language development (verbal play)
Participate in conversations with adults and peers
Have their speech understood by most familiar adults
Express wants and needs
Say several single words
Begin scribbling and manipulating writing instruments
In addition, students will:
Sing songs and rhymes
Increase vocabulary expression and comprehension
Follow simple, one-step verbal directions
Listen to books and stories for a short time
Build vocabulary in an effort to facilitate conversation
SOCIAL STUDIES
Through the lens of our mission statement and the Formative Five, students investigate themes related to geography, history, cultural studies, and current events.
By the end of Little Saints, students will be able to:
Formative Five
Recognize the concepts of the Formative Five: Empathy, Grit, Integrity, Self-control and Embracing Diversity
Neighborhood and Community
Learn about each other's families and cultures
Demonstrate an understanding of community helpers and their jobs
Holidays, Celebrations, and Traditions
Share information about the holidays/traditions celebrated by their own family
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
In addition, students will:
Develop a sense of community in both the classroom and school
Understand and recognize familiar locations and routines that take place at school
Speak and play-act about those who live and work in the neighborhood
Learn about family traditions as shared by students and families with the class
SCIENCE/OUTDOOR CLASSROOM
Our outdoor space is a certified Natural Wildlife Habitat by the 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. In this space, students learn more about nature and the world around them.
By the end of Little Saints, students will be able to:
Understand that they have five senses that can help them explore their surroundings
Explore a variety of sensory experiences that heightens their awareness of the world around them and builds on their inquiring nature
In addition, students will: Experience planting flowers in the outdoor classroom
Begin to recognize changes in the weather
Tinker Lab/Maker Space
Visit bi-weekly for intriguing, creative, collaborative STEM-based activities
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 includes 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 Saints, students will be able to:
Fully participate in the group read-aloud
Identify some colors, shapes, and numbers within books
Answer basic “who, what, where” questions related to books read
In addition, students will:
Participate as the class tries to predict events within a story as it unfolds
Demonstrate an understanding of how to hold and care for books
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 Saints, students will be able to:
Use greetings appropriately (hello/goodbye)
Identity primary colors and numbers 1-5
Identify music or songs in Spanish
State the names of familiar animals with visual support
In addition, students will:
Be exposed to the rhythms and sounds of the Spanish language
Listen and respond to interactive ReadAlouds
Learn about seasonal vocabulary, customs, and holidays from Hispanic culture
MUSIC AND MOVEMENT
The Musik Adventures curriculum engages children in weekly activities that encourage multisensory learning, stimulating multiple areas of the brain at once. Throughout the year, we focus on different musical concepts and introduce students to different musical genres and styles that help foster a lifelong love and appreciation for music. Consistent engagement with age-appropriate music in a socially accepting environment provides developmental benefits, including increased self-esteem, an improved ability to take turns, enhanced fine and gross motor skills, and and improved literacy.
By the end of Little Saints, students will be able to:
Singing and Vocal Development
Participate in singing songs with repeated words and rhythm
Movement
Act out musical stories through movement
Stomp and clap to the music, helping them understand the space their bodies occupy and its capabilities
Focused Listening
Identify a range of orchestra instruments and their sound quality
Hear patterns and rhymes
In addition, students will: Ensemble Experiences
Learn to participate in a small group and learn how to keep a steady beat
Exploring and Playing a Variety of Musical Instruments
Learn to hold a mallet, hit a drum, use shakers, and play the xylophone and other 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 essential skills that have a positive influence on learning: impulse-control, self-awareness, how to pay attention and listen, how to focus and be present, and how to breathe with intention. These skills facilitate learning and 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 Saints, students will be able to:
Recognize techniques of Mindfulness (flower, candle, breath, “Calm Your Glitter” 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
In addition, students will: Make mindful choices
Resolve conflicts peacefully
