INFANT PROGRAM

Infant classrooms have a maximum of 4 infants and 1 teacher. This provides important one-on-one time throughout the day. We believe that meeting the individual needs of each infant is of primary importance, therefore each infant sleeps, eats, and plays, according to his or personal habits and daily needs. Each afternoon, parents receive a written record of their child's eating and sleeping pattern for that day.


Infants experience the world around them through their senses. Our classrooms include a variety of music, textures, age-appropriate toys, and active and quiet play spaces both indoors and outdoors. Each week parents receive a copy of the developmental curriculum the teacher has prepared for the week. Parents are always welcome in the classroom, and are encouraged to enjoy the rocking chair that is available to teachers and parents for cuddling and feeding.


TODDLER

We believe that children learn best through play, so our toddlers enjoy a daily variety of indoor and outdoor experiences which build on their natural desire to explore their surroundings. Planned and spontaneous learning opportunities enhance the children’s self-esteem, physical, independence and social skills. Activities which encourage language development, pre-math, pre-science, and early-literacy skills are woven throughout the day to foster the toddler’s cognitive growth.

Our daily classroom routine is flexible to allow for individual children’s needs while still providing the predictability so important to toddlers. Daily communication with parents allows us to meet each toddler’s needs in a familiar and effective way and helps us support the child’s family unit. Each family receives a daily written description of their child’s day, and a weekly curriculum plan. Parents are always welcome in the classroom and encouraged to attend classroom events.

PRESCHOOL PROGRAM

It is our educational goal to take known and familiar experiences of the child’s world and build on these experiences to offer a curriculum that is rich in family beliefs and traditions. We provide a secure and nurturing environment that fosters independence, curiosity and the development of age-appropriate skills. Big, Little School promotes self-image and a sense of identity for each child. Emphasis is placed on encouraging cooperative play and a balanced development in emotional, physical, social, intellectual and creative growth while also focusing on developing readiness skills for kindergarten, including pre-writing, pre-reading and self help skills. The curriculum features thematic units with interest centers. Each classroom features sensory, hands-on experiences, letters and numbers of the week, computer, and weekly visits to the children’s library, motor development and music classes, cooking and art activities. Parents are welcome in the classroom and encouraged to attend classroom events.


PRE-K PROGRAM

Our pre-k program is designed for children who turn 4 before September 1. It is our educational goal to take known and familiar experiences of the child’s world and build on these experiences to offer a curriculum that is rich in family beliefs and traditions. We provide a secure and nurturing environment that fosters independence, curiosity and the development of age-appropriate skills. Big, Little School promotes self-image and a sense of identity for each child. Emphasis is placed on encouraging cooperative play and a balanced development in emotional, physical, social, intellectual and creative growth while also focusing on developing readiness skills for kindergarten, including pre-writing, pre-reading and self-help skills.


The curriculum features the “Handwriting Without Tears Program: “Get Set For School Readiness & Writing, Language & Literacy and Numbers & Math.” The Handwriting Without Tears program is a developmental appropriate hands-on learning approach that helps build basic skills. At mid-year children (who are ready) will start small guided reading groups. In these small groups, children learn one-to-one correspondence and are introduced to simple sight words. Pre-K children go on a variety of field trips each month along with weekly visits to the children’s library, motor development and music classes, cooking and art activities. Parents are welcome in the classroom and encouraged to attend classroom events.



PRESCHOOL PROGRAM

The School-Age After-School Program at Big, Little School is offered to Valley Oaks Elementary and Hunter’s Creek Elementary students. The School-Age Program at Big, Little School is designed to provide school-age children through 5th grade a safe, fun and enriching environment in which to spend time between their regular school program and the time they spend at home. The schedule of activities we offer is derived from the needs of the children. While the school-aged children are out of their regular academic program we attempt to provide opportunities for them to grow as a whole person emotionally, socially, physically and intellectually while allowing for individual creativity.

After-School Program
The program structure of the after school program includes:
Outdoor individual and group play
Quiet/homework centers
Indoor learning centers
Group games

Full-time program during in-service days and holidays at no additional cost
Each day the children are given the opportunity to choose from a variety of quiet and active centers both indoors and outdoors. Centers may include art, computers, blocks, manipulative, reading, homework, science, dramatic play, Nintendo. Youth instructors encourage participation in scheduled group games, science experiments, cooking projects, community service work, dramatic play and art activities. Because we offer programs for a wide range, we solicit input from the children during the planning process. Each age group will be set up according to the needs and interests of the group.

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