Pre-school Room

3 years – School Age.

24 children, 2 staff Group

Each Day our Pre-schoolers will need to bring:-

· 1 complete change of clothes

· Pull up nappies if they are in nappies.

· 1 set of named sheets in a named drawstring bag or pillowcase (cot sheets fit mattresses well)

Please ensure all items are clearly named.

The centre will supply a named hat that belongs only to your child and will be given to your child when they leave the centre.

Some of the Activities that are Designed for the Pre-school room Include:

Each day in the Pre-school room, a range of experiences that foster literacy, numberacy, role-play, construction, thinking, physical and social skills are offered. Below are just some experiences offered in the program.

Literacy and Numeracy Experiences

· Reading books and storytelling are an extremely important part of our daily program.

· Book Corner and Writing Centre are always available for children to develop their pre-reading and pre-writing skills.

· Opportunities for speaking and listening (through games and show & tell, for example) are also a part of our daily program.

· Games (board games, computer games, card games, dominoes) pattern boards, puzzles etc allow children to develop their thinking, counting, matching and sequencing skills.

Creative and Construction Experiences

Playdough is a favourite activity. The children enjoy squashing, hammering, rolling, cutting, making sausages of different shapes, and making all sorts of delicious foods! In this experience, children develop finger strength and modelling techniques as well as learning how to use different tools and talking with others about their creations.

Other creative and construction experiences offered to give children the opportunity to develop fine motor skills and creativity include:

box collage	collage	music
music	blocks	lego sets
painting	clay	sewing
drawing	playdough	weaving

Role-Play Experiences

A variety of props (dress-ups, furniture, utensils etc) are available daily for children to become involved in make-believe/dramatic play.

For example, the children enjoy playing in our pretend ‘Brisbane Hospital’ where they pretend to be Doctors and patients through using medical props (stethoscope, Doctor’s glasses, needles, reflex checker, bandages etc). This type of experience is extremely valuable because the children can express their own knowledge eof hospitals and Doctors, learn from others, and show care and compassion for those who were ‘sick’ or ‘hurt’.

Physical and Health Experiences

Both indoor and outdoor areas are set up to foster children’s physical development. Children of this age need a variety of experiences to develop strength and coordination – children are always looking for a physical challenge! Experiences offered include:

* obstacle course * dancing * ball skills * sandpit play

* swings * bikes * tumbling mats * sporting equipment

* Adventure Playground

The variety and range of experiences offered daily in the Pre-school room also promotes and supports preschool aged children in their readiness for school. Through participation in experiences such as those previously mentioned, children acquire the ability to work and play cooperatively; to follow instructions; to get along with others (both children and adults); to respect other people around them (again, both children and adults); and to happily separate from home, adapting to a new environment. Learning to adjust socially and emotionally is very necessary before a child is ready for more formal instruction such as school. In addition, they also learn important literacy, numeracy and thinking skills (such as interpreting pictures; using their imagination; explaining their thinking; matching pictures, sequencing, patterning and visual discrimination). These skills form the foundation of reading, writing and arithmetic at school! Overall, the Pre-school Room program is based on the theory that children learn best through play, and it is such play experiences, combined with a range of group times, that foster a love of learning in children that will help them be successful learners now and in the future.