Organization of the Day
 

Lunch Time

Lunch is served family style in the classroom. A teacher sits at each table with a small group of children. Food is served in large bowls, and children are encouraged to try a little of each food offered. Children are giving the opportunity to take responsibility and help with the setting of the table and serving food. Lunch is served between 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

Transition to Nap Time

While children are finishing up their lunch and having turns using the toilet and washing hands, some children gather with a teacher for story time, play quietly on their rest cot, or get settled and ready for their rest time. (Between 12:00 p.m. and 12:30 p.m.)

Nap Time

Soft music is played while children lay quietly on their cots, usually with a small child-sized blanket sent from home. Teachers take turns going around the room and helping children settle down and relax. Children are given quiet nap time until 2:30 p.m.

Departure

Children can be picked up any time before 6:30 p.m. Children are sent home with a daily sheet narrating the important details of their day and any special messages from the teachers in the room. The Center closes promptly at 6:30 p.m.

The Pre-K3 program begins at 9:00 a.m.  We begin every morning with a whole group circle time, where we discuss the weather, days of the week, months of the year, introduce and review concepts, such as colors, shapes, alphabet, etc.  We choose our daily helpers for the day.  Children help feed our class pet, turn on lights, help during meals, etc.  We go outside twice a day, in the morning and in the afternoon.  If the weather does not permit us to go outside, gross motor activities are provided in the room or in the supplemental room downstairs.

We assess the children throughout the year offering parents and families opportunities to see how their child is developing.  Children are assessed in various areas:  social-emotional, physical, cognitive, language, mathematics, science, and social studies.  This helps us individualize our lesson plans to the needs of each child. 

The TLC Pre-K3 program also offers a reading readiness program, which is designed to offer children the foundation they need to be successful in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten, where they begin formal reading instruction.  This reading program offers early literacy skills, such as appreciation for books, proper book handling, letter recognition and naming, instructional concepts and vocabulary:  top, bottom, above, under, same, different, etc., and emergent writing through children’s dictation.

We also have a math program, where children have opportunities to explore numbers, counting, geometry, measuring, sorting, etc. all through hands-on activities.  This includes sorting shapes by one and two attributes, patterning, sequencing, counting objects, recognizing and naming numbers, one-to-one correspondence, etc.

In the afternoons, we engage in in-depth investigations, known as Project Approach.  Through these projects, children explore and sharpen their mathematical, language, cognitive, social, and science skills as they learn about a topic chosen by them and of their interest.  In the past, we have learned in-depth about apples, ants, flowers, and birds, to name a few.  We participated in activities that included observing things in nature using tools, such as magnifying glasses, reading and making books about our topic, graphing, cooking, making charts, webbing, etc.

We follow aspects of the Creative Curriculum.  We offer children opportunities to play and choose where and with what they want to play with.  Through these play opportunities, children can explore, ask questions, learn about their environment, learn about social roles and have opportunities to listen to stories, practice writing, etc.

We offer parent and family involvement days, volunteer opportunities, and field trips that align with the Illinois Early Learning Standards and help supplement our lesson plans.  Our teaching philosophy stresses the importance of parent and family involvement in our program.  We send “Family Homework” assignments daily to make a connection between school and home and like to keep communication open with our parents and families.