Programs - The Yellow Group

Pre-Kindergarten
(5 Morning Program)
As you observe in the classroom, these notes may give you a
better understanding of the daily program.

In the Yellow Group, we apply the philosophy of The West Hill School as the staff aims to develop a confident, well-rounded child, who will go on to kindergarten with joy in discovery, pride in accomplishment and a sense of community. Our goals are to develop comfortable mastery of large and small muscles, and to instill a sense of wonder and an enjoyment of learning.

Free Play

The day begins with Free Play, one of the most social times of the morning. The children are free to choose from the many activities offered. In the "quiet" room, the choices include optional art activities and small motor manipulatives. There is also a Quiet Corner, for resting and looking at books. Crayons and markers are always available, as is the easel for painting. The "busy" room is geared toward large motor play, using riding toys, blocks, dress-ups and a housekeeping area.

Big Circle

After cooperatively putting away the toys and materials they have used during Free Play, all the children sit down as a group and participate in Big Circle. This is a time to sing songs, complete our calendar and weather graph and to discuss any daily business. These activities, along with Show and Tell, allow the children to feel comfortable while speaking before a group.

Language Arts

Each week, a different letter of the alphabet is introduced. Letter of the Week activities are done with half the class at a time. These small groups are often divided, yet again, into groups of six or seven, enabling children to learn to write, give the sound or sounds of and identify each letter of the alphabet in a very small group setting. On Fridays, parent volunteers prepare a Letter of the Week cooking project with the children.

Math

During this period, different math concepts, such as graphing, measuring, and patterning are taught through games and group activities. The children also practice writing numbers from 1 to 10. As is true during Language Arts, they work in very small groups.

Small Circle

Small Circle is a time to discuss information about our different units of study. The class is divided into two groups. Along with sharing information, we emphasize the development of good listening skills and the importance of learning to take turns when speaking.

Project Time

Our projects are planned handwork, which is done with either the group as a whole or divided in two. Projects relate to our current unit of study. The emphasis is on refining small motor skills and also on developing the ability to follow directions accurately. Most projects allow for some degree of individual interpretation.

Activity Time

Done in small groups, this is a time for directed large motor activity, such as walking the balance beam, playing organized games and using the indoor climbing apparatus. It is also the time for dramatic play, during which the children will perform plays, puppet shows and re-enact stories that have been read to them.

Story Time

Stories are read on a regular basis. The stories selected supplement our units of study. Discussions regularly follow the reading to reinforce the story.

Rhythms

On Mondays, the children spend time with our music (Rhythms) teacher. In a small group setting, the children fine tune listening skills by identifying a rhythm played on the piano and matching it to a particular physical movement (i.e. walking, marching, skipping). The movements become progressively more complicated throughout the year. The remainder of the Rhythms session is spent learning songs and playing musical games, both of which generally correspond to the current unit of study.

Creative Movement

On Thursdays, our Creative Movement teacher delights the children with fun and exciting ways to use their large motor skills. Working in small groups, the children are introduced to the principals of dance and movement while developing their own natural ability to imagine and pretend.

Science

On Friday, our Science specialist works with small groups as she intrigues the children with facts and displays about our natural environment. Hands-on lessons captivate her audiences. Whenever possible, the science discussions revolve around the current unit of study.

Outdoor Play

Weather permitting, we adjourn to the playground at the end of the morning. Each piece of playground equipment is carefully teacher supervised. Dismissal begins at 11:30 a.m. from the playground.

Outside Resources

Throughout the year, we take a number of field trips. We visit a pumpkin farm, the Farmer's Market and various other places in our community that relate to our topics of study, such as Eastern College's Bradstreet Observatory. Organizations such as the Humane Society, The Elmwood Park Zoo, Creative Storytelling and others supplement our curriculum. Parents and other visitors from the community visit throughout the year to share their special talents and knowledge with the children.

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