Our preschool recognizes and values each child’s unique characteristics and abilities, and we strive to facilitate academic learning and social interactions through many developmentally appropriate activities and experiences. Center-based play offers many opportunities for each child to make choices. Teacher-directed activities introduce and reinforce academic concepts in a print rich environment. Most importantly, self-esteem is fostered because our program is designed so that every child enjoys success.


Development includes the child’s experience, expression, and management of emotions and the ability to establish positive and rewarding relationships with others.
- Mood changes rapidly
- Tries out feelings of power
- Dominates; is bossy, boastful, belligerent
- Assertive, argumentative
- Shows off; is cocky, noisy
- Can fight own battles
- Hits, grabs, insists on desires
- Explosive, destructive
- Easily over stimulated; excitable
- Impatient in large groups*
- Cooperates in groups of two or three*
- Develops “special” friends* but shifts loyalties often
- In-group develops; excludes others*
- Resistant; tests limits
- Exaggerates, tells tall tales
- Teases, outwits; has terrific humor
- May have scary dreams
- Tattles frequently


Development includes a wide range of specific competencies that preschool children will need support to learn including listening and speaking, reading, writing.
- Has more words than knowledge
- A great talker, questioner
- Likes words, plays with them
- Has high interest in poetry
- Able to talk to solve conflicts*
- Responds to verbal directions
- Enjoys taking turns to sing along
- Interested in dramatizing songs, stories
- Exaggerates, practices words
- Uses voice control, pitch, rhythm
- Asks “when?””why?”how?” *
- Joins sentences together
- Loves being read to


Development includes balance, loco motor skills, manipulative skills, body awareness, spatial awareness, directional awareness, and active participation.
- Longer, leaner body build
- Vigorous, dynamic, acrobatic
- Active until exhausted
- “Works”: builds, drives, pilots
- Can jump own height and land upright
- Hops, skips
- Throws large ball, kicks accurately
- Hops and stands on one foot
- Jumps over objects
- Walks in a straight line
- Races up and down stairs
- Turns somersaults
- Walks backward toe-heel
- Accurate, rash body movements
- Copies a cross, square
- Can draw a stick figure
- Holds paint brush in adult manner, pencil in fisted grasp
- Can lace shoes
- Dresses self except back buttons, ties
- Has sureness and control in finger activities
- Alternates feet going down stairs


Development focusing on child’s ability to process information, conceptual resources, perceptual skill, language learning, and other aspects of brain development.
- Does some naming and representative art
- Gives art products personal value
- Can work for a goal*
- Questions constantly*
- Interested in how things work
- Interested in life-death concepts
- Has an extended attention span
- Can do two things at once
- Dramatic play is closer to reality*
- Judges which to two objects is larger
- Has concept of three; can name more
- Has accurate sense of time
- Full of ideas
- Begins to generalize; often tautly*
- Likes a variety of materials
- Calls people names*
- Has dynamic intellectual drive*
- Has imaginary playmates
- Recognizes several printed words
*Key cultural awareness of identity characteristics