Our approach to Language in a cross-curricular one; it begins with an extensive foundation of descriptive oral language used throughout the classroom. THis important base fosters interest in vocabulary acquisition, and, eventually, written symbols and words.

• Use stories, songs, finger plays, and other verbal activities to actively engage students.
• Provide opportunities for students to describe and dictate information to teachers.
• Encourage verbal expression, social conversation, proper word usage, and the sharing of ideas in a group situation.
• Introduce new words and provide relevant opportunities to use them.
• Introduce letters, their sounds, and words that begin with them.

• Using a large variety of climbing, riding, and ball-oriented playground equipment
• Through organized indoor physical movement games, obstacle courses, relay activities, etc.

The abstract world of Math becomes more concrete when the students work with carefully prepared, enjoyable activities! Beginning with materials that strengthen observational skills, the students then apply these skills to quantities and their relationships.

• Matching, sorting, and sequencing games
• Identifying missing objects

• Learning one to one correspondence skills
• Accurate rote counting
• Numeral recognition/association skills
• Sorting objects according to more than one attribute
• Exposure to ordinals (first, second, third, etc.) and number sequence

Activities designed to strengthen Fine Motor Skills also create a unity between thought, will, and action.

• Develop dressing skills
• Develop precise small muscle control and "pincer" grasp
• Use engaging manipulatives and equipment
• FInd opportunities to reinforce their skills throughout the classroom; drawing, assembling puzzles, using scissors, building with and balancing objects, etc.

The Social and Emotional Development of each student is encouraged through:

• Opportunities for independent, parallel, and cooperative play
• Consistent expectations and examples from the teachers
• Classrooms and activities that reinforce appropriate behavior and attitude

Future scientists love to experiment and explore with our Science materials! Always developmentally appropriate, these tools are relevant to the young student's understanding of the world and the questions they would like to answer.

• Not just acquire facts, but experience the joy of doing something to find an answer rather than being told an answer
• Conduct safe science experiments independently
• Learn about aspects of the natural world (animal families, animal habitats, botany, etc.)

There are innumerable opportunities at Academic Gardens for Creative and Imaginative Behavior to flourish!

• Singing and listening to a wide variety of music daily
• Learning about musical instruments
• Working with elements of rhythm (steady beat, silence and sound, short and long sounds)
• Art activities that focus on the experience, the exploration, and the experimentation involved
• An ample supply of dramatic play props, clothing, and furniture