PreSchool
The preschool years are a time for deep exploration, adventure, taking risks, independence, and extreme growth. At The Makers Club, we have put together a program that supports all areas of development, so that our children thrive, hit milestones, and enter Kindergarten eager and ready to learn.
We use an
Award Winning
Curriculum
Our mornings are structured around Highscope’s large group, small group, and Plan-Do-Review routine. Large group sees all students gathering together for engaging activities, before splitting into small groups for about 15 minutes where they work on something specific to an academic content area. These are always in the form of play, and often, children don’t even realize that what they are doing is math, science, language arts – they just know that they are having fun. Small group leads into Plan-Do-Review. Plan-Do-Review starts with children telling their Teacher what they plan to do during their “work” time – a child’s only work is to play. They then use their “work” time to execute their intention, or decide on other things that peak their interest, and then gather into small groups to review their “work.” This gets children into the habit of stating an intention, following through on their intention, and then learning the art of recalling what they did.
Afternoons at The Makers Club are spent exploring one of The Creative Curriculum’s Teaching Guide Studies. These are month-long studies on a variety of subjects, from pets, and insects, to simple machines, and tubes and tunnels. For the next four weeks, Teachers and students spend time exploring questions related to their study such as, “How do we care for pets?” and “How do pets make us feel?” The teaching guides support their investigations with daily plans and create a rich learning environment for our students.
We use an Award Winning
Assessment TOol
Observing and assessing students throughout their time with us allows Teachers to scaffold learning opportunities and objectives for each and every child. GOLD supports Teachers by providing appropriate developmental milestones, so that they can track student’s progress. Based on 38 objectives, teachers will meet each child exactly where they are at, and create activities that either support them in reaching a milestone, or that challenges them beyond it.
We use Positive Discipline &
Social-Emotional Techniques
With conscious discipline, social-emotional development and discipline move away from punishment and external rewards to internal resources of safety, connection, and problem solving. Conscious Discipline is used to first educate and create emotional intelligence in teachers, and then in children. Teachers can only guide children through regulating their emotions once they are equipped with, and practice the same skills themselves. Teachers go through extensive training in Conscious Discipline, Managing Emotional Mayhem, and The Feeling Buddies.
As a compliment to our work using Conscious Discipline, we also use Generation Mindful’s Time-In Toolkit to help children regulate emotions and talk about their feelings through play.
We have a fantastic
creative arts
program
Using theme-based units each week, students welcome a Musically Minded music Teacher into their classroom to explore rhythm, tempo, and melody!
Our Magnolia school is lucky to be located on the same street as the American Dance Institute! Exploring our student’s imaginations, these classes take our children on a journey through strength, flexibility, movement, and tempo.
Spanish & Sign Language
We welcome a Spanish Teacher to our classroom each week to explore the Spanish language and culture. Through games, arts & crafts, singing, and play, students quickly pick-up every day Spanish. Each month introduces a different theme, and at-home materials are given to parents to continue children’s learning of the Spanish language.
Students are taught and use American Sign Language every day. Our children know the alphabet, their names, and basic signs for early communication.
We believe in
Humane Education
Through our very own Humane Education Program, Kindness In The Making, students engage in projects, games, and hands on interactions that spark and nurture empathy and compassion towards others, animals, ourselves, and our planet. At The Makers Club, we believe that Humane Education sets the stage for lifelong contribution towards society & positive change, gratefulness, and appreciation and respect for other living beings, and is the most important thing that can be taught to young children.
Beginning in the Fall of 2021, we will be partnering with Roots of Empathy, to bring their program, Seeds of Empathy to our preschool. Through their mission of “Building caring, peaceful, and civil societies through the development of empathy,” Seeds of Empathy introduces 3 week themes that are taught by Literacy Coaches, and a family guide who brings in an infant for the children to observe. Through the babies’ movements and interactions, children learn how to label feelings and talk about their own. This beautiful, award winning program has been proven to be effective in creating massive change and growth in young children.