Prekindergarten
The foundation for success in school begins at an early age. Prekindergarten is a critical year for acquiring the necessary skills for a successful transition to the routine and the expectations of primary-level education.
Coed Prekindergarten for four-year-olds
Although we prefer children to be four by September 30. 2010, we will assess younger children's readiness on an individual basis.
Walk into one of Laurel's child-centered Prekindergarten classrooms and you'll be tempted to pull up a small chair, hug your knees to your chest and join in the fun. At Laurel, children are given the tools and the license to become independent thinkers and risk takers - essential to developing self-confidence, decision-making and problem-solving skills and self-reliance.
We build on what children know and strengthen attitudes about themselves as capable, active learners and valuable group members. Prekindergartners happily choose from an array of developmentally appropriate activities and materials that promote cognitive, creative, physical, emotional and social growth. Students often are involved in the planning process and make their own choices, with teachers as guides and facilitators. The curriculum encourages increased symbolic thinking in their play, more independence in solving problems, comfort in expressing ideas in front of the group, expanded social competence and the ability to resolve conflicts through words.
Language arts become increasingly important and the world of books beckons. Children appropriately exposed to literature at a young age are more likely to become fluent and proficient readers and writers. Story time, in the classroom or in the Lake Library, transports children to the magical worlds that await their imaginations and encourages the cognitive development of sequencing as every story has a beginning, middle and end. Journaling encourages them to use their own words to express themselves and their thoughts. Through researching, they learn that there are many different ways to get answers to their questions.
Laurel prizes the sense of wonder and curiosity engendered when children realize connections within the physical world. Our Eco!Wonder curriculum brings science and nature together in a program that emphasizes sustainabilty, life cycles, and exploration in the natural world..
