Pre-K
The Weekday approach to Pre-K prioritizes play-based learning with an eye toward kindergarten preparedness. We do so by emphasizing the following educational components.
Community
The children begin each day with Morning Meeting, which is a time for the calendar and weather routines, the Question of the Day, and learning songs. This time spent together creates a space for sharing; for listening; and for creating that crucial sense of belonging children need in order to be successful in school.
Social Emotional Learning
Young children become confident and capable when they are successful at taking care of themselves and held to a high, but age-appropriate standard. Children in Pre-K begin learning these important skills on the first day of school. They hang up their backpacks and coats, take off their outdoor shoes and put on their indoor shoes, and move their name on the attendance chart. Washing their hands before snack and lunch is a task they take seriously, as is cleaning up materials when they are done. The teachers spend devoted time teaching the children where things go and what an area of the classroom should look like at the end of worktime. As the school year progresses, the expectations expand to setting up their own rest mats before rest time and putting them away after. Classroom jobs are an important piece of this learning. The children take turns doing real jobs that are important and serious, like turning out the lights when leaving the classroom or giving the five-minute warning for clean-up time.
Academic Curriculum
Our overarching goal for each child at Weekday School is that they develop a lifelong love of learning and a powerful sense of self. Core academic subjects are woven into their entire day in authentic and genuine ways.
Reading and Writing: Children in the Pre-K are surrounded by language, both written and spoken. Read-aloud stories are an essential part of each day, and the children are exposed to books from various genres and are prompted to make connections with the characters or subjects. They are exposed to foundational concepts like letters, syllables, words, and sentences through rhymes, stories, games, and activities. The children are tasked with creating the signs in the classroom, writing the words on the job chart, and labeling their work. We place tremendous value on creating a community of readers and writers, and this begins in the early years.
Math: We want students to develop a real-world understanding of math, which for Pre-K children means creating a strong foundation of mathematical concepts upon which future learning will take place. We like to say that math is all around us and the children in the Pre-K are constantly “doing math” throughout their day. At Morning Meeting they count the days of school, graph weather data, and analyze the data collected from the Question of the Day and the attendance chart. Throughout the day, they play games that are intentional about teaching math and work in the block area, a part of the classroom that is rich with mathematical learning. We believe that when children remain interested in and excited about math, they are set up to be extremely successful when math becomes more challenging as they move through their schooling.
Science: Our PreK science learning is centered around the seasons, nature, and the natural world around us. In the fall, the children investigate leaves, pumpkins, apples, and acorns. They learn what different plants and animals do when the weather begins to get colder. This learning largely takes place outside, where the children can dig, investigate, and discover authentically. Our Monthly Forest School days play an integral role in this learning.
Social Studies: The core foundation of our academic work in the PreK years is through Social Studies. Every academic subject and opportunity for social learning takes place through long-term studies that are developed in response to the children’s particular area of interest. The teachers spend the first month of school closely observing the children’s play, listening to their questions and conversations, and looking for common themes. From there, a long-term study is created that will capture the children’s interest and excitement for further learning.
Example Study Module - PreK Experiential Learning Unit
After observing the children playing Restaurant in the dramatic play area of the classroom, the teachers developed a project in which the children spent several months delving into the various aspects of food service. They conducted research on how commercial restaurants worked by visiting food establishments on South Orange Avenue and interviewing their workers. Back in the classroom, they created menus, jobs, and organized the dramatic play area into a restaurant that reflected the knowledge they had gained through their research. Children took turns taking on different roles —such as chefs, waiters, and customers —fostering imaginative play. Throughout the unit, teachers paid close attention to children's interests, questions, and discoveries, adapting, expanding, and evolving the learning experiences based on the children’s emerging ideas.