Arrival and Meal Time
The day begins with a nutritious breakfast served family style. During meals, the children not only learn table manners and how to eat healthfully, they engage in conversations that help them develop their language and vocabulary.
Day Preview
After breakfast, children gather on the carpet to preview the day ahead and build a sense of community through Morning Message. They use visual cue cards to show what activities are planned for the day. Referring to the visual cues throughout the day helps children anticipate and prepare for changes, making for smoother transitions.
Large Group Activity
Children have an opportunity to build a sense of community by engaging in a child-led activity. Whether the child leader chooses to dance, sing a favorite song, or play a game, the whole class joins in the fun.
Individual Plan & Work Time
Play is a child’s work. Children at Pre-K 4 SA get extended work time each day. But before getting to work, each child makes a strategic plan of action. While the children work, teachers purposefully engage with the children. Teachers advance children’s learning by observing the children’s interactions, listening intently while children talk, and asking questions that build on children’s thinking. At the end of work time, the children clean up the classroom by returning everything to its place.
Review Time
At the end of work time, the children gather to review their work. The teacher gives each child an opportunity to recall what happened during work time, reflect on how the plan was executed, and discuss what the child learned. This plan-do-review sequence helps children develop executive function, an important brain process.
Small Group Time
During Small Group Time, the children are placed into two groups. Each teacher works with one of the groups to provide a lesson that draws from the children’s interests and is aligned to the Texas Pre-K Guidelines. The teachers meet daily to plan small group lessons based on the children’s progress and learning from the day before. Teachers individualize lessons for each child by skillfully differentiating the materials.
Outdoor Learning
Children spend a minimum of 60 minutes outside each day in one of our outdoor learning environments. As with everything else at Pre-K 4 SA, our outdoor spaces were intentionally designed to promote learning through play. Children have access to a variety of recycled and natural materials that encourage them to design, create, and problem solve. They have equipment for catching, throwing, climbing, riding and making music. There is a stage for imaginative play, and a cozy reading nook filled with books. There are mud kitchens, vegetable gardens, and tricycle tracks. Buckets of chalk, bubble wands, and finger paints let children express their creative side. It’s no wonder Pre-K 4 SA has been recognized for our Outdoor Learning environments.
Lunch & Rest Time
After a busy morning of work, it’s time for family style lunch with more social engagement and then a short rest time to help children recharge for the afternoon.
Large Group Activity
After rest, a child leads the class in an activity to get their muscles moving.
Individual Plan & Work Time
Children once again have the opportunity to learn new skills and build executive function through inquiry-based planning and play.
Story Time
For example, rather than sit at a table and learn math, then go outside and learn science, then paint at an art easel to learn colors, we incorporate all subjects into all our learning environments because all subjects are naturally interrelated in real life
Extended Day Program
For children who stay for the extended day program while their parents are at work or at school, there is more active learning in the classroom, time in the outdoor learning environment, and quality interactions that build language, academic, and social skills.
