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Daily Routine

Times are approximate and vary according to individual and group needs

 

8am-9:30am

Arrivals and morning greetings.

 

8:00am to 10am

Free play with optional table activities.  Our outdoor classroom promotes free exploration with guided play, while offering a light, play-based academic component to appeal to the children with emerging desires for literacy and mathematics concepts.  Teachers rotate learning materials to align with children's interests and engagement.  Some children need a little more guidance as teachers facilitate their acquisition of self-initiative and autonomy.  Teachers observe carefully to ensure that all curricular and developmental areas are represented. Children seem to thrive most when they are given the opportunity to engage in interest-driven activities offered in a developmentally appropriate way.

We believe the following learning arenas are crucial to development:

  • block play (important for mathematical learning, executive functioning like predicting, planning, problem-solving)

  • art (open-ended art materials always available)

  • pretend play (make-believe has many benefits socially, emotionally, and cognitively)

  • science (we often have books and play materials based on a scientific theme we are collectively exploring)

  • literacy (we rotate books based on children's interest at that time)

  • developmentally appropriate materials (our toys and materials appeal to a range of developmental levels)

  • spatial reasoning (puzzles, block play, other works involving use of space, angles, density - all of these concepts contribute to broader mathematical understanding)

  • free, open-ended play with loose parts (engaged children's creativity and unhindered expression)

 

10am

Circle time.  Lots of music, lots of participation, lots of movement, lots of self expression. Circle time can last anywhere from 5 minutes to 30, depending on the children's engagement, interest and attention span on that particular day. Like everything else, we watch them carefully and follow their lead. The main objective of circle time is not to "teach" but rather to allow each child to be seen to foster a sense of connection after a busy morning of play.

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10:30am

Snacktime and "outdoor" play.  The play yard has the added benefit of enhancing learning through organic play:

  • large motor (bikes, sand box play, climbing, swinging, running)

  • sensory (sand, water and mud play)

  • nature and science (finding bugs, collecting leaves, digging in soil, playing in water, finding "treasures" like pebbles and seeds)

  • social (group games often emerge outdoors)

  • pretend play (making food in the mud pie kitchen, acting out stories with friends)

  • art/science (we tend to do messier, broader encompassing art and science activities outside)

 

11:45am

Lunch! This has been a great social hour for the children and a time when they all come together and engage in planning, sharing what's going on for them, or just being chatty.  

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12:30pm

Story time - story time is a time when we come together and listen to a collective story. Children also independently look at books at this time.

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12:15-1pm

Pick up window

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Block play in the outdoor classroom

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