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Our Junior Classes are for children who are 3 years
old as of September 1st
![[Product Image]](images/JRCircle.JPG)
For the 2008-09 school year the Junior classes will be offered on the
following days. Please see the Registration Page
for information regarding available spaces or waiting lists. (click
here for 2007-08 information)
 | Tuesday through Thursday mornings from 8:45-11:15 |
| Tuesday through Thursday afternoons from 12:25-2:55 |
The Junior program is held in the same
classroom as our Parent and Me program, allowing children who continue in the
program the advantage of feeling comfortable with the classroom, teachers, and
materials. Children become comfortable with the classroom routine, having
already been familiar with self-selected exploration, snack, clean-up, and
circle time. The Junior program exceeds the DCFS (the Department of Children and
Family Services) adult to child ratio of 1:10 by providing three teachers plus
one parent helper every day for a maximum of 20 children (1:6 ratio). We feel this is
critical to help meet the needs of all children and provide individualized
attention.
The children can explore, investigate, and manipulate a variety
of materials that support the weekly theme. The room is set up with child
sized cabinets that are clearly labeled, allowing children the opportunity to
independently select their activities from a variety of materials.
The following highlights a typical day in the junior classroom:
- Arrival:
Children and their parents are
greeted at the door by the teachers and personally welcomed into the room.
Each child has their own cubbies labeled with their name and picture, and
are encouraged to hang their own bag and coat. In accordance with DCFS,
children wash their hands upon entering the room. If needed, parents can
help get their child settled before leaving to ensure a smooth transition.
Many parents establish a routine to help make the transition smooth and
predictable (for example, parents will read a story or participate in an art
project together before leaving).
Free Choice Time:
The children can freely move about the classroom and participate in a variety of
self-selected activities in each area of the room, including the following:
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Block Area: The
children can participate in building and constructing in the block area with
wood unit blocks, transportation vehicles, street signs, and other related
items. This is a social area that encourages children to work together,
problem solve, and develop their own understanding of the world around
them. It also incorporates various math concepts, including shape
recognition, understanding the part to whole relationship, and spatial
awareness. A variety of literacy tools are also incorporated, including
reading train schedules, maps, blue prints, and tickets for children to act
out real life experiences. |
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Dramatic Play:
The children can participate in dramatic play with a kitchen set, dishes,
real cooking utensils, cookbooks, and pots and pans. A variety of clothes
are available for children to wear in creating various scenes or dramatic
events, including aprons, construction hats, firefighter uniforms, and
sports coats. This is also a social area with rich language experiences for
children as they communicate and work with each other to create various
roles, scenarios, and dramatic situations. |
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Literacy Corner:
A variety of books are available for children to read, either by themselves,
with their peers, or together with an adult. Comfortable furniture,
including a child sized couch, child sized rocking chair, and a bean bag
allow children the opportunity to snuggle up with a good book. Books in the
library often include books that reinforce the weekly theme, but also
contain books that provide good picture cues, rhyming words, or repeating
words, which are all critical elements in pre-literacy development. |
| Math
and Science Area:
Students can explore, investigate, and experiment with a variety of elements
in nature in the math and science area. Materials may include: magnifying
glass, leaves, patterning cards, shells, pine cones, and various
manipulatives for sorting and classifying. In this area, children are
exposed to a variety of math and science concepts, including patterning,
matching, the life cycle, and the four seasons. The class fish is always a
popular item for the children to visit. |
| Fine
Motor: Children
can strengthen the muscles in their fingers and hands (critical for writing
and cutting development) with a variety of sensory materials, including home
made playdough, silly putty, shaving cream, and flubber. This is a
wonderful science activity as students learn about how solids and liquids
mix to create a whole new substance. In addition, this is an excellent
literacy activity, as children follow a process and the proper recipe with
measurements. There is also a lot of rich language being used as children
describe how these substances feel on their hands and experiment with a
variety of supporting materials, including cookie cutter, rolling pins, and
scissors. |
| Art
Area: Children
can work with a variety of art mediums at the art table. They are
encouraged to use their imagination and creativity while working with a
variety of artistic elements, including watercolors, tempera paints, collage
materials, printing, and using marbles, cars, and household items in
paint. |
| Sensory Bin:
Concepts of conservation and measurement are explored in the sensory bin.
Children can work with a variety of materials, including water, corn
kernels, hay, leaves, rice, and pasta in the bin, using sifters, water
wheels, shovels, and buckets. Materials are changed to reflect weekly
themes. |
Clean-up Time:
Our five more minute song alerts children that self-selected time is coming to
an end. Our clean-up song lets them know that all materials need to be put
away. Children learn to work together with their peers and their teachers to
accomplish their goal of cleaning up.
Rug Time:
Children meet on the rug for a brief
circle time which includes a variety of music and literacy activities. The
children can participate in fingerplays, flannel board stories, and storytelling
to help develop the weekly theme. The children can also participate in musical
activities including singing, movement/dancing, and playing instruments. During
this time, the children are developing listening skills, extending their
vocabulary, increasing their attention span, and promoting oral communication.
Snack Time: Snack
is brought by the parent helper of the day (see our
Snack Guidelines page for DCFS
guidelines). After hand washing, the children sit with the same teacher and
group of children each day to enjoy a relaxed snack. This is a wonderful
opportunity for children to enjoy conversation with their peers and their
teachers as they enjoy a tasty treat.
Outdoor Play:
Weather permitting, the last 15 minutes are spent
outside at the Irma Butler Toddler Park, right outside the Preschool. The
park contains age appropriate climbing equipment with slides and a see-saw.
Other materials, including bubbles, chalk, or shovels for snow, are brought out
to enhance their outdoor play.
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