Our curriculum begins with the children; what their interests are and where they are developmentally.

At Juniperhaven Preschool, we prioritize the development of  a child’s social and emotional intelligence, recognizing it as a crucial skill during their early years.  A large uninterrupted play time gives children the space to practice these skills and master these skills. Teachers act as coaches during their play and intercept to help with conflict mediation when children are having a tough time solving problems on their own.  During circle time, we engage children through interactive engaging activities such as storytelling, puppet shows and songs. It’s during these direct instruction times and through real life experiences that the children learn important values like taking turns, apologizing and how to engage in play with others. We emphasize the importance of kindness and empathy towards others, as these skills ultimately contribute to their success not only in kindergarten but in into their adulthood.

In a play-based environment teachers act as guides, observing and assessing each child’s interests, abilities and developmental needs. They use this knowledge to create play-based activities and experiences, by providing a variety of art materials, loose parts, toys and props ranging on different topics and using a variety of skills, teachers stimulate children’s imagination and creativity, allowing then to explore and learn through play.

Our play-based environment is also a print-rich environment. The classroom is filled with print materials such as books, labels, signs and charts. These materials expose children to the written language and help them develop and understanding of print concepts, such as left to right reading and top to bottom orientation.  Through storytelling and dramatic play, children engage in imaginative play scenarios where they can act out different roles and create narratives. This helps develop their oral language skills, vocabulary, and storytelling abilities which are essential foundations for literacy.  There is also a writing center with various writing materials such as paper, pencils and markers and stamps. Children are encouraged to engage in emergent writing activities such as drawing, scribbling, and attempting to write letters or words. This supports their fine motor skills and early writing development.  Letter recognition is incorporated into play by intentionally putting letters into sensory bins, playdough tool boxes, manipulatives like blocks and legos and by recognizing their name which is posted near their jacket hook.  Although we don’t do worksheets, letter and number recognition is a integral part of our curriculum (especially in the preschool classroom). 

Math skills are seamlessly incorporated into our classroom. Play areas are equipped with a variety of manipulatives, such as blocks, puzzles and counting toys. Children engage in hands-on activities that involve counting, sorting and grouping objects. This develops their number sense and understanding of basic mathematical concepts.Play-based environments also provide opportunities for children to explore measurements and comparison. For example, they might use tools such as rulers or scales to explore size and weight.  The environment also incorporates materials and activities that promote shape recognition and spatial awareness. Children might engage in shape sorting games, build geometric shapes or explore spial relationships through block play. These experiences help to develop their understanding of shapes, spacial concepts and geometry.

I could go on and on about the learning benefits of a play-based environment.