My preschool curriculum provides a circle time, art time, learning time and a special activity for five days per week. We start our morning program off each day with circle time. To begin our circle time, we discuss with the children the weather outside. We have the children look out the window and then we ask them "what is the weather outside?" If you have a lot of younger children they may not be able to answer correctly, then we give them hints; such as, (Is the sky white or blue?) if its white does anyone know what that means? (It’s cloudy) "Is it raining outside?" Is snowing outside?" Is it cloudy outside?" Is it windy outside?" We have a weather chart and each day we have one of the children move the arrow to the correct weather for that day. The weather chart is included in the toddler or preschool curriculum.

Next we focus on the calendar. I will ask the children "Does anyone know what day it is?" If no one knows what day it is, I will tell them, "Today Is Thursday." I made a felt calendar with numbers that have Velcro on their backs to stick to the calendar. The children take turns putting up the numbers each day to show that days date. The Toddlers are too young to understand what a calendar is but they still have fun sticking up the numbers. Our calendar is in my dining room and the children need to climb up into a chair to be able to reach the calendar to put on the numbers. I always stand nearby when they are climbing onto the chair incase they start to fall. After the number for the day is put up, we start at number one, on the calendar and I have the children count with me, to the new date that we just placed onto the calendar. As they say the numbers I point to the numbers on the calendar to help to teach them their numbers.

Circle Time – We start our Toddler / or Preschool Program off each day with circle time. We try to get all the children to sit together in a circle on the floor. We never force any child to participate, but we do try to encourage participation. You will find in the daily lessons which activity to do each morning for circle time. Our circle time activities could be a talk or discussion but usually involves a fun activity such as a learning activity, games, singing songs, hearing a story, etc.

Fun Way To Learn – We have found a lot of fun ways to help the children to learn while they’re having fun. After out circle time activity we focus on the calendar. I made a Velcro one with Velcro numbers. The children take turns putting the numbers up each day. Toddlers are too young to understand what a calendar is but they still have fun sticking up the numbers and singing our seven days of the week song. All the older toddlers can sing most of it.

Seven Days Of The Week Song There are seven days in the week, seven days in the week. There are seven days in the week. "Hold up 7 fingers" And I know them all. "Point to self" Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. Saturday is the last one. Saturday ends the week. "Teacher will point to each day on the calendar" Repeat song.

Singing Songs And Reciting Rhymes - Each week we teach the children a few new songs or rhymes for that week's theme. Children like repetition so don't be afraid to sing any song the children really like on a daily basis, but try to add a few new ones each week. Don't expect the toddlers to sing with you but they really enjoy music so please sing. In time they will be able to copy the hand movements to the songs and nursery rhymes they hear often and before you know it they will start to sing a word or two. Be sure to include some of the children's favorites each week. Some of our children's favorites are listed below.

The Wheels On The Bus If You’re Happy And You Know It Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star ABC Song Old McDonald Had A Farm

The Itsy Bitsy Spider One Two Buckle My Shoe Five Little Monkeys Jumping On The Bed Five Little Monkeys Teasing Mr. Crocodile Plus others.

Weather Chart - The weather chart is included in every monthly curriculum package. We start our morning program off each day with circle time. To begin our circle time, we discuss with the children the weather outside. We have the children look out the window and then we ask them "what is the weather outside?" If you have a lot of younger children they may not be able to answer correctly, then we give them hints; such as, (Is the sky white or blue?) if its white does anyone know what that means? (It’s cloudy) "Is it raining outside?" Is it snowing outside?" Is it cloudy outside?" Is it windy outside?" We have a weather chart and each day we have one of the children move the arrow to the correct weather for that day.

Art Time - There is a daily art project (craft) for the children to do each day that goes along with that weeks theme. After circle time we have the children come to the table and sit down and get ready for art time. Look in your Toddler or Preschool lesson plans to see which craft you will be doing that day, and if you need to print anything out for that days craft. If we are going to use glue I place the glue into tiny plastic cups such as the kind you get with the sample play dough. I only put a small amount in the cup; just enough for that days project. I give the toddlers large brushes to use and the preschoolers smaller ones. If we are going to paint I make sure each child has some type of paint shirt on. If you do not have enough paint shirts, you can always use an old sweat shirt and cut off the arms. Anything will work. We use our old and stained up wash clothes for paint rags. I just wet the paint rag and it keep it handy for spills or for a child who is done before the others, or we may keep a dish pan with a small amount of water in it for the children who finish early to rinse off until they can get into the bathroom to wash up with soap and warm water.

Preschool Learning Activities - Above are a few examples of some of our preschool learning activities. These activities are made from easily accessible materials and provide a fun learning experience for the children. Our program also offers learning activties can be a work sheet, coloring page, a game, puzzles, bug hunt, ant farm, nature walk and other fun idea's. These activities are to teach the children about sharing, numbers, alphabet, shapes, colors and much more! The activities shown above may not be available for the month you are purchasing but similar activities are available for each month.

Special Activities - Our preschool program also provides special activities for each day. Please view the examples above. The first picture the one with the flowers is an activity where the children will go on a flower hunt and collect plastic flowers. The next picture show an activity where the children will feed the puppy some bones and the picture shows an activity of putting hair scrunches onto a card board base. Each monthly program has different monthly activities. The ones shown above may not be available for the month you are purchasing but similar activities are available for each month.