During free play, children make friends by doing things together. They find joy in achievement and learn self-discipline as they choose, test, make decisions, and relate to others.
Early in the day, the teacher gathers the class for a time of songs & movement, conversation, presentation of the day's lesson, and introduction to today's project. Self expression, patience, and understanding of each other is stressed.
Toward the end of the morning, a story time circle might be supplemented with puppets or flannel board pieces. This time can also include games, songs, finger plays, or opportunities to act out or retell the story.
Project time can be either in ones or twos with a teacher or "all together". Projects provide practice and exploration in areas of science, math, reading readiness and arts and crafts tied into established units.
Clarlen enjoys a large outdoor space that includes a playground, paved areas, and a grassy area. When weather doesn't allow the children to play outside, our large rooms are perfect for whole body movement activities.
Throughout the year, there are several opportunities to go on field trips and experience special in-class visitors.
All children are different and families have unique needs. That is why we offer extension days for both the 3s and 4s, as well as options to extend some days until 1:00pm.
Our 2-day Enrichment Program for 4-year-olds meets Tuesday and Thursday mornings. One feature of our Enrichment Program is the increased focus on reading readiness and handwriting skills. By introducing a letter each week, we work with the children toward learning the correct way to print both the capital and lower case of each letter and then, with fun games and projects, we reinforce each letter’s sound. In addition, we include lessons with numbers, including measurement and money, and regular science experiments, which introduce the children to a variety of scientific concepts and the process of experimentation. Another portion of our Enrichment Program includes storytelling, creative writing, drama, and self expression, along with units on health, famous artists, famous Americans, and a variety of other topics.
This is an optional add-on to our regular three day program. A similar 1-day add-on is available for 3-year-olds when there is sufficient interest. Please see Tuition/Programs for Enrichment and Extra Day tuition information.
For families looking for a slightly longer day, we offer a program we call Lunch Bunch and we collaborate with Kim Lee and Lisa Cangialosi to provide Math and Reading Clubs.
