PRESCHOOLER PROGRAMS AGES 3-5 YEARS
At Magical Memories Daycare our programs for preschoolers focuses on five areas:
Practical life - Children learn how to tie their shoes and put on their coats, prepare their own snacks and drinks, go to the bathroom without help, and clean up after themselves if they spill something.
Sensory awareness education - Exercises make sure children use all five senses to learn. For example, a child studying about fall gathers leaves and feels how brittle they are.
Language arts - Children are encouraged to express themselves verbally and are taught to trace and recognize letters as a precursor to learning reading, spelling, grammar, and handwriting skills.
Mathematics and geometry - Children learn about numbers through hands-on techniques using concrete materials, such as the golden beads that represent the hierarchy of the decimal system.
Cultural subjects - Children learn about other countries (geography), animals (zoology), time, history, music, movement, science, and art.
All the disciplines are tied together in complementary ways. Toys and other developmentally appropriate learning materials are laid out in the classroom so a child can see what his/her choices are and then pick a task - called "work" - according to their interests. Work options include books, puzzle games, art projects, toys that test spatial relations, and more. When they're done, children put their work back on the shelves and move on to something else. The daily schedule allows time for children to play alone or in groups.
I work with children as a group and one on one, but most of the interaction is among the children. Older kids often help younger ones learn how to master new skills. That's why I provide care to children from infants to 12 years of age.
I believe in teaching children about a wide range of cultures, and most actively seek a diverse children body. If you'd like your child to be exposed to kids from all walks of life, this might be the place. Similar to other multi age child care we take children starting at age of newborn to 12 years, where preschoolers are ages from 3-5 years and prefer that they are able to go to the bathroom on their own. We also offer limited space for infants and young toddlers.
At my daycare I also focus on the developmental milestones of 3 – 5 years old. Following are the areas of development that we mainly focus on:
Physical development, Motor Development, Language Development, Cognitive Development, Social Development, and Emotional Development.
MILESTONES 3 YEARS OLD:
Motor Development, Gross Motor Skills:
Children at this age walk with an agile, almost adult style, runs around obstacles, catches large balls and throws overhead, climbs ladders; uses slide independently, rides a tricycle, alternates feet when climbing stairs.
Motor Development: Fine Motor Skills: Child at this age should be able to do following task:
Assembles simple puzzles, manipulates clay; finger paints, copies simple shapes, such as a cross or circle, stacks blocks up to nine high.
Language and Thinking Development:
Understands most of what is said and 75 percent of speech is understandable, speaks in complete sentences of three to five words, matches pictures to objects, learn by doing and through the senses, understands concepts of "now," "soon," and "later". Begins to recognize cause-and-effect relationships.
Social and Emotional Development:
Follows simple directions; enjoys helping with household tasks, begins to recognize own limits, asks for help, likes to play alone, but near other children, does not cooperate or share well, able to make choices between two things, begins to notice other people's moods and feelings.
Tips for Parenting 3-Year-Old:
No longer a toddler, your 3 year old takes in knowledge about himself and the world around him. Transitions are difficult at this age. Provide warning of changes so your child has time to shift gears: "We're leaving in 10 minutes." Rituals are important. Household routines and schedules give your 3-year-old a sense of security. Point out colors and numbers in the course of everyday conversation: "You're wearing your blue shirt" or "We made six cupcakes." Encourage independent activity to build self-reliance. Provide lots of sensory experiences for learning and developing coordination sand, mud, finger paints, and puzzles.
MILESTONES 4 YEARS OLD:
Motor Development: Gross Motor Skills.
Running is more controlled; can start, stop, and turn, turns somersaults; hops on one foot; gallops, can easily, catch, throw, and bounce a ball, can brush teeth, comb hair, wash, and dress with little assistance.
Motor Development: Fine Motor Skills
Copies crosses and squares, prints some letters, uses table utensils skilfully, cuts on a line.
Language and Thinking Development:
Uses a 1,500-word vocabulary; speaks in relatively complex sentences ("Mommy opened the door and the dog ran out.") Understands words that relate one idea to another — if, why, when, continues to learn through experience and the senses, understands, mostly, the difference between fantasy and reality, understands number and space concepts — more, less, bigger, in, under, behind, thinks literally; starting to develop logical thinking, begins to grasp that pictures and symbols can represent real objects, starts to recognize patterns among objects — round things, soft things, animals, grasps the concepts of past, present, and future but does not understand the duration of time.
Social and Emotional Development:
Takes turns, shares, and cooperates, expresses anger verbally rather than physically, can feel jealousy, may sometimes lie to protect them self, but understands the concept of lying, enjoys pretending and has a vivid imagination.
Tips for Parenting 4-Year-Old:
Silly, imaginative, and energetic, your child loves to try new words and new activities. 4-year-olds crave adult approval. Provide lots of positive encouragement. Display calendars and analog clocks to help your child visualize the concept of time. Play word games to develop his growing vocabulary; overlook his fascination with bad words. Offer opportunities for sorting, matching, counting, and comparing. Provide lots of play space and occasions to play with other kids.
MILESTONES 5 YEARS OLD:
Motor Development: Gross Motor Skills.
Runs in an adult manner, walks on tiptoe, broad jumps, walks on a balance beam, skates and jumps rope.
Motor Development: Fine Motor Skills.
Hand preference is established, laces (but cannot tie) shoes, grasps pencil like an adult, colors within lines, cuts and pastes simple shapes.
Language and Thinking Development:
Speaks fluently; correctly uses plurals, pronouns, tenses, very interested in words and language; seeks knowledge, understands and names opposites, uses complex language, still confuses fantasy and reality at times, thinking is still naïve; doesn't use adult logic.
Social and Emotional Development:
Distinguishes right from wrong, honest from dishonest, but does not recognize intent, plays make-believe and dresses up, mimics adults and seeks praise, seeks to play rather than be alone; friends are important, plays with both boys and girls but prefers the same sex, wants to conform; may criticize those who do not.
Tips for Parenting 5-Year-Old:
Your cooperative, easy-going 5-year-old loves to play and that's how he learns.
Join in activities that develop coordination and balance — skipping and hopping, walking on the curb or crack in the sidewalk, or climbing trees. Encourage fine motor skills by letting your child cut pictures out of magazines, string beads, or play with take-apart, put-together toys. Take advantage of his interest in numbers by counting anything and everything; teach simple addition and subtraction by using objects, not numerals. Let your child know what to expect from an upcoming event or activity so he can prepare. Avoid springing things on him. Help him recognize his emotions by using words to describe them: "I see you're angry at me right now."
Remember that these milestones represent averages, not rigid developmental deadlines. Children move through these changes at varying rates, some sooner, others later. You're the best judge of your child's development and what is "normal" for him, but if you have any concerns, discuss them with your child's paediatrician. Just when you think you've figured out your child, something changes. Today they demand constant attention; six months from now he may be pushing you away. You may find strategies that once worked no longer have any impact on him. Don't worry, this is normal!