Innovation Station provides children with the added structure they are ready for as they prepare for school. They are actively developing self-esteem and social skills through free play opportunities. Our pre-kindergarteners are increasing their attention spans as they participate in a combination of large and small group activities throughout the day. Teachers communicate daily with parents verbally at the end of the day, as well as provide a daily summary of the children's day through email.

A Typical Day in Pre-Kindergarten…

Before 8:00 – Early Arrivers

At the beginning of the day, we start in the young two year old classroom downstairs.  Children will have free play during this time.

8:00 – Free Play

The children have the opportunity to explore the classroom and socialize with their peers at this time. This is an important time for the children to select their favorite activities and to learn self-regulation while making positive choices.

8:30 – Breakfast

We offer nutritious breakfast from 8:30 to 9:00.  For those children who already ate at home, free play is still available. 

9:00 – Group Time

There are several parts to our group time. We have a discussion, usually based around our theme, read a story, and practice some of our favorite songs.  We also have share time during group.  The children love bringing in items from home. Although we have plenty of toys to explore at school, it is nice to bring to share about once a week.   Usually, we have weekly themes to follow for share as well, such as things that start with B or things that are rectangles.

9:20 – Centers and Small Groups

During this time, we have small group times to focus on more individual learning. While this time is going on, the students will work on a variety of activities, including art projects, counting, sorting games, making books, fine motor skills, etc. They can also select from a variety of choices to encourage exploration and learning through play that go along with our thematic units.

10:45 – Outdoor Play

11:30 – Music and Movement

Music experiences are very important for children at this age. We will learn many new songs throughout the year.  We have been working hard on adding sign language and movement to our songs.

11:45 – Lunch

12:30 – Rest Time

For those staying for the afternoon, rest is a very important part of the day. We encourage resting for the first 30 minutes. For those not sleeping after that time period, we will work on one-on-one activities and quiet choices.

2:30 – One-on-one Work/Table Toys

3:00 – Centers and Snack

Students can again pick from the activities of the day. We will also have another opportunity for art.

4:15 – Outdoor Play with Preschool

Emergent Theme Planning

Each unit we do in our classroom is inspired by the children through observation and conversation. We feel that this kind of planning helps the children learn the math and literacy skills even better since they have shown interest in the units. Some of the units we have covered in previous months include: dinosaurs, bugs, birds (including chicken hatching), and nursery rhymes.