Programs Offered

For Detailed Information or To Schedule a Visit     E-mail khasting@thelabschool.org or call 281-286-8786

INFORMATION REGARDING DAILY SCHEDULE OF PRESCHOOL ACTIVITIES:

Our Lab School daily schedule includes: large group music time, a story presentation, and 3 individual classroom visits-Math/Science-Language/Puzzles,Games and Blocks &Art/Dramatic Play with new highlighted activities each day, outside time and snack time. Our daily goal is that children have had an enjoyable musical experience, a large group story time and that they have been exposed to and have participated in developmentally appropriate learning activities in each classroom. We hope that the children will build on the skills that they already possess and begin building new skills concepts, ideas, and experiences.

Things to remember:

Each day is filled with multiple learning activities and opportunities from which your child may choose. It would be impossible for a child to experience everything that is planned each day. But, the plans are made to address the individual learning styles and interests of children.

Emphasis is placed on process learning and not product based learning. So, there may be days when your child does not bring anything home that they have "made" while at school. It may be that their work was wet and may come home on the next day, and it may be that we are compiling work into a book that will be sent home when it is complete. It may also be that your child was actively involved in a project such as conducting an experiment, building a tower, acting out a story, drawing on the chalkboard, playing a game etc. These activities have inherent educational value, but no product when complete.

BEGINNING OF THE DAY PRESCHOOL ROUTINE:

LARGE GROUP MUSIC PRESENTATION:

Each day when the children arrive at Lab School, they will join their teachers and friends on the carpet for a large group presentation of fun and interactive songs. Parents are invited to join the fun and participate.

New research regarding brain research and early childhood education supports the idea of starting a child's school day with music. We have found at the Lab School that this time also makes a smooth transition from home to school each day as the children are engaged and involved in a fun and musical way.

LARGE GROUP STORY TIME

Each day, following music, Mr. Glenn Little will involve the children in a story presentation that will introduce them to high quality literature and provide motivation for our daily units and topics of study. Our goal during this time is that children develop a life long love of literature, reading and stories. Children's auditory skills will be developed as their creativity and imagination are developed.

INDIVIDUAL CLASSROOMS YOUR CHILD WILL BE ATTENDING:

LANGUAGE, PUZZLES, BLOCKS AND GAMES CLASSROOM:

The children will join Mrs. Jeanne Silver and Mrs. Nancy Hutchinson each day in the Language room. During their time in this classroom the children will discuss the story from large group time and discuss the book, author, characters, concepts and activities in the story. There will also be lots of oral language and vocabulary related activities in this classroom. The teachers are laying the foundation necessary for reading readiness.

Some of the skills to be developed in this classroom:

Language Skills:

Name recognition

Vocabulary development and awareness

Left to right progression

Rhyming words

Strengthening visual memory

Sequencing stories

Recalling experiences

Sharing ideas

Writing stories

Alphabet awareness

Beginning sounds

Self-expression

Listening skills

Poetry

Print is talk on paper

Fine motor skill development

Eye-hand coordination

Exposure to high quality children's literature

Respect and care for books

Appreciation of detail

Game Skills:

Interaction and sharing with friends

Problem solving strategies for play

Following rules to games

Sharing and taking turns

Completing a task

Good sportsmanship

Solving puzzles

Block/Building Skills:

Strengthening agility and balance

Developing muscular control and strength

Using physical energy constructively and imaginatively

Create a project according to a plan and design

Plan, measuring and construction

Experimenting with tools and new materials

Caring for tools and rules of safety

Working with others on group projects

Solving problems

Exploring spatial relationships

Comparing shapes, and sizes

Developing large and small muscles

Working and planning together

Organization skills

ART AND DRAMATIC PLAY CLASSROOM:

The children will join Mrs. Cathy Clemons and Mrs.Vera Tosto each day in the Art and Dramatic Play room. During their time in this classroom the children will experience a wide variety of creative art activities and have the opportunity to dress in costumes and role play many different situations.

Some of the skills to be developed in this classroom:

Dramatic Play Skills:

Develop self-confidence and imagination

Try on family roles and act out familiar situations

Develop problem solving and social skill techniques

' Develop vocabulary and oral language skills

Act out familiar stories

Art skills:

Develop creativity through planning and constructing an art idea or project

Explore fun ways to express ideas, impressions, thoughts and feelings

Experiment with color, shape, size and texture

Develop eye-hand coordination and fine muscle coordination

Respect the artistic expressions of others

Develop visual and tactile skills

Create unique art projects

Be introduced to a variety of art media

Make cards and pictures for others

Develop problem-solving techniques

MATH AND SCIENCE CLASSROOM:

The children will join their teachers each day in the Math and Science classroom. During their time in this classroom the children will experience a wide variety of math and science related experiences and activities.

Some of the skills to be developed in this classroom:

Math Concepts and Skills:

Identification of shapes and numerals

Relating life experiences to math

Sequencing numerals and objects

Classification

Counting

One-to-one correspondence

Interpretation of a calendar, days of the week, months

Making comparisons, and seeing relationships

Experimenting with weights and measurements

Developing patterning skills

Science Concepts:

Exploring the natural and mechanical world

Observing life processes

Experimentation

Problem-solving

Asking questions

Research

Gathering data and drawing conclusions

Observation skills to see relationships

Visual and tactile skills

Classification

Making generalizations

Sand Play:

Role playing

Making comparisions

Eye-hand coordination

Introduction to new materials

Measurement and weight

Oral language development, self-expression and interaction with peers

Responsibility for cleaning tools

Water Play:

Measurement

Interaction and experimentation with new materials

Making Comparisons

Eye-hand coordination

Interaction with peers and self-expression

Vocabulary development

Management of materials

Experimentation

PRESCHOOL  CURRICULUM:

The Lab School teachers have developed a curriculum which is designed to meet the developmental needs and interests of young children. The curriculum is theme-based and allows children to explore a wide variety of topics. The curriculum has a strong literature base and exposes children to many quality literary works.

The goals of the Lab School curriculum are to:

Build higher level thinking skills with a real world perspective

The curriculum is built around topics that young children naturally are interested in and curious about. This means that we automatically have their attention and they are engaged in the learning process because it is of interest to them. This is one of the major facets of brain research regarding learning

The curriculum is very child focused and age appropriate

The curriculum focuses on making learning meaningful

The curriculum has as one of its major goals to build connections and relationships between topics of study so that children see the relationships and understand how things are alike and how they are different- by making comparisons and noticing the unique attributes of objects

Activities are experiential in nature and have children actively involved in the learning process

Activities are multi-sensory

Learning is focused on building vocabulary, concepts, skills

The curriculum allows for a time of reflection, where children make connections, analyze, review, make application, think and redo

Impress the idea upon children that learning is a life long process that can be fun, exciting

The curriculum allows for individual differences and learning styles and these individual differences are valued

INDEPENDENCE:

One of our goals at the Lab School is to help young children develop independence. We try to accomplish this goal in a variety of ways. Children are encouraged to take responsibility for their personal belongings each day as they hang their tote bag up on their hook and place their snack in the bucket. They also develop independence as they manage their snack each day and become independent in the restroom. The children develop responsibility and independence in the classrooms as they learn to care from classroom materials.

And, the children learn responsibility as they learn to treat others with dignity and respect.

E-mail khasting@thelabschool.org