......to Mrs. Austin's Preschool blog! Here you will find all the information you need to get the new school year off to a great start! Check back often for updated information.
My goals as your child's teacher are:
- To develop a growing respect and love for God and His Word
- To build connections between Bible teachings and other academic areas of learning
- To expound upon their sense of awe and wonder about how their world works.
- To hear, recognize, reproduce, and manipulate the
sounds of language in a playful manner. - To introduce the names and sounds of letters in a meaningful way.
- To develop basic math concepts using manipulatives - a 'hands on' process.
- To instill an overall love for learning through enjoyable,
developmentally appropriate experiences
This is how we know that we love the children of God:
by loving God and carrying out his commands.
I John 5:2
Information
At Our Shepherd Lutheran Preschool, children have access to various activities throughout the day. Because play is a significant mode of learning, we provide ample time and developmentally appropriate materials for child-initiated play. Children are exposed to numbers and the alphabet in the context of their everyday experiences. The science of plants and animals, stories, and props for pretend play all help provide a basis for learning activities.
Children work on an art project every day using a variety of mediums and the classroom is decorated with many of their creations! Many times the art work will reflect the theme of the day such as apples, trains, butterflies and caterpillars, or a specific color or shape.
Our program is planned to give the child many kinds of experiences. Thinking, planning, making decisions, questioning, talking and listening will all be a part of the child’s day. There is manipulative play for small motor development as well as gym and outdoor playtime to provide physical activities for developing coordination of the large and small muscles.
We also offer a twenty minute session in our school computer lab once a week to introduce preschoolers to the use of the computer.
Children work on an art project every day using a variety of mediums and the classroom is decorated with many of their creations! Many times the art work will reflect the theme of the day such as apples, trains, butterflies and caterpillars, or a specific color or shape.
Our program is planned to give the child many kinds of experiences. Thinking, planning, making decisions, questioning, talking and listening will all be a part of the child’s day. There is manipulative play for small motor development as well as gym and outdoor playtime to provide physical activities for developing coordination of the large and small muscles.
We also offer a twenty minute session in our school computer lab once a week to introduce preschoolers to the use of the computer.
Of course, Jesus is the foundation of our program! We begin and end our day with song and prayer. Circle Time includes a daily devotion and during Jesus Time we worship Him, hear His Word, and nurture our faith in Him!
A typical day in the Three’s program includes:
·Arrival – teacher and children gather on the rug for opening prayer, attendance and the theme for the day.
·Learning Centers – children are actively involved in different areas of the room. Centers include blocks, picture books, art materials, dramatic play and table toys such as matching games, pegboards and puzzles.
·Clean up – together we learn that many helping hands make light the work!
·Circle Time – large group- devotions, weather, mystery bag, theme, facts, songs
·Snack – wash hands, use our best table manners, learn to pour our own juice and count out snack
·Jesus Time – worship, lesson and music
·Large movement activities – gym or outside play
·Prepare for home – an important time for closure, to review our day, hear a fun story, pray and sing our good-bye song
·Dismiss
The program at Our Shepherd includes a number of opportunities for parent involvement. Families are asked to join us for a “Thanksgiving Feast” in November; “Dad’s Day” is on a Sunday afternoon in March, and May brings us the “Mother’s Day Tea”! Parents are also welcome to sign up ahead of time to work a day in the classroom along with our teacher and aide.
·Arrival – teacher and children gather on the rug for opening prayer, attendance and the theme for the day.
·Learning Centers – children are actively involved in different areas of the room. Centers include blocks, picture books, art materials, dramatic play and table toys such as matching games, pegboards and puzzles.
·Clean up – together we learn that many helping hands make light the work!
·Circle Time – large group- devotions, weather, mystery bag, theme, facts, songs
·Snack – wash hands, use our best table manners, learn to pour our own juice and count out snack
·Jesus Time – worship, lesson and music
·Large movement activities – gym or outside play
·Prepare for home – an important time for closure, to review our day, hear a fun story, pray and sing our good-bye song
·Dismiss
The program at Our Shepherd includes a number of opportunities for parent involvement. Families are asked to join us for a “Thanksgiving Feast” in November; “Dad’s Day” is on a Sunday afternoon in March, and May brings us the “Mother’s Day Tea”! Parents are also welcome to sign up ahead of time to work a day in the classroom along with our teacher and aide.
Curriculum
The following is a sample of the themes and topics covered in a typical year of three year old preschool in my classroom. There may be slight changes at times to fit in with happenings in our school as a whole or with current events in our world!
September – Letters A B C
“The Kissing Hand” by Audrey Penn – raccoons
Sunflowers
Farm Animals
Apples
Crows & Scarecrows
Circle Day
October – Letters D E F G
Popcorn Day
Community Helpers
Fire Safety
Orange Day
Spider Day
Autumn Leaves
*Fall Field Trip
Pumpkins
Squirrels
November – Letters H I J K
Owls
Brown Day
Triangle Day
Indian Day
Thanksgiving Feast Day
Hibernation
Green Day
Square Day
Candy Canes
Reindeer
Gingerbread
Jesus’ Birthday Party
January – Letters N O P Q
Stars/Epiphany
Penguins
Blue Day
Dressing for Winter
Outdoor Play Day
Snow
Polar Bears
Mitten Day
February – Letters R S T
Shadows
Purple Day
Restaurant
Red Day
Valentines
Teddy Bears
Good Health
Mouse Day
March – Letters U V W
Construction
Grocery Store
Pigs & Pancakes
Wind
Bunny Day
Easter Eggs
April – Letters X Y Z
Spring Flowers
Pocket Day
Bread Day
Rainbows
Caterpillars & Butterflies
Yellow Day
Ladybugs
*Spring Field Trip
May
May Day
Hands & Feet
Mother’s Day Tea
Frogs
Fish
Flies
*End of Year Picnic
Jesus Time Lessons
Voyages Exploring God’s Word Concordia Publishing House
Week 1 – God Made the World and Plants
2 – God Made Animals and People
3 – God Calls Abraham
4 – Abraham is Blessed
5 – Jacob and Rachel Have a Baby
6 – Jacob Takes Care of Joseph
7 – Baby Moses
8 – Joshua and Jericho
9 – Hannah Prays
10 – Samuel
11 – David and Jonathan
12 – Elisha’s Home
13 – The Angel Visit’s Mary
14 – Jesus is Born
15 – Angels Tell the Shepherds
16 – Shepherds Worship Jesus
17 – Jesus Grows as a Child
18 – The Boy Jesus at the Temple
19 – Jesus is Baptized
20 – Jesus Chooses 12 Disciples
21 – Jesus Blesses the Children
22 – Jesus Teaches about Birds and Flowers
23 – Jesus Stops a Storm
24 – Jesus Feeds 5,000
25 – Mary and Martha
26 – Jesus Heals a Deaf Man
27 – Jesus Heals a Blind Man
28 – Zacchaeus
29 – Children Praise Jesus
30 – Jesus Dies and Arises
31 – Easter
32 – Peter and the Crippled Man
33 – Philip and the Ethiopian
34 – Timothy
35 – Jesus Knows My Name
36 – Jesus Promises to Be with Me
