Kindergarten Readiness

• Physical development is reinforced through a P.E. class that encourages cooperative play and teamwork while introducing gaming and sporting fundamentals.

• Social and self-help skills are practiced and refined to focus on increasing self-control, problem solving, regulating emotions, playing cooperatively with peers, practicing good hygiene and appropriate bathroom skills, and using good manners.

• Communication and expressive language is encouraged through practice with telling stories about everyday events, using descriptive language, following one and two step verbal directions and expressing needs and wants appropriately.

• Reasoning and concept development is enhanced through LeafSpring School’s use of Project Based Learning (PBL).

About Project Based Learning (PBL)

LeafSpring School’s Project Based Learning (PBL) is specially designed to develop children’s reasoning and concept development by tapping into their expressed interests while promoting whole child development.

The Project Based Learning (PBL) focuses on cooperation, teamwork, and problem solving while helping children gain more knowledge in subjects of interest to them. Children as a group identify an area of interest and determine what they want to know about the subject. The teacher serves as the facilitator, helping the children determine and achieve their learning objectives. Project Based Learning (PBL) activities transpire over a series of days, or even weeks, reinforcing to children that learning does not begin and end in one lesson, but rather involves collaboration, problem solving, and team work. Addressing our whole child mindset, children experience knowledge based learning as well as a multitude of social and self-management skills. For example, if the children want to learn more about gardening, the first step might be to make lists of vegetables and plants they would like to grow, materials and supplies needed to grow a garden, where they want to plant it, etc. In the following weeks they plant their garden, monitor growth, water, weed, and maybe even take a field trip to a farm. The Project Based Learning (PBL) activities enhance kindergarten readiness skills and promote practical skills needed for lifelong learning and working with others.

Partnering with You

Although we enjoy each day of learning with your child, we embrace the partnership that comes from working together with you, our parents! LeafSpring School’s mission statement, that “Teachers and Nurses Partner with Parents to Promote the Success of each Child”, provides the perfect platform for us to address kindergarten readiness together! There are numerous activities that you can use at home to enhance kindergarten readiness. Your child’s teacher will be more than happy to share some of these activities for you to try at home.

We are well equipped to help both you and your child feel confident about that next big step in their education and look forward to partnering with you during the Pre-Kindergarten journey.