10th Street Preschool

Toddler-Parent School -  11 Months – 2.5 Years

Facilitated by Cindy Wasson and one of our toddler teachers, ‘Toddler-Parent’ consists of music and movement, storytime, sand and water play, puzzles, block building, imaginative play and snack. The program gives parents an opportunity to speak with Cindy about parenting and toddler issues one-on-one and in a group setting.

 

Little School -  2 year olds without a parent and 1.5+ with an adult

Little School helps children and their parents practice saying good-bye. Children discover their independence and autonomy as they play together in our self-contained classroom and in two outside yards. Activities include sand and water play, art projects, snack, stories, music and dramatic play.

When ready, the Little Schoolers and Preschoolers will visit and play next to and with one another. This is the beginning of mixed-age play which is the cornerstone of 10th Street. Preschoolers naturally embrace Little Schoolers and tuck them under their wings as they prepare to fly. Children who attend Little School are really ready to begin Preschool and enjoy a smooth transition without trepidation or separation anxiety. 

 

Preschool - Children 2.6 to 6 years

Our Preschool program promotes socialization skills in a mixed age group setting, which places together students from all ages of early childhood. As in a family, the youngest children in Mixed Aged Groups learn from the oldest, and the oldest develop leadership skills while nurturing others. Each learns kindness and empathy. Kindergarten readiness is a complex process. It does not begin and end during your child’s third year of preschool. It begins the day your child starts school.

First, we will help your child master separation. Next children learn to trust and allow other adults to care for them. Once they master the initial phase of separation, socialization begins. Play is hard work and it is the emphasis of your child’s first year in school. In their second and third year, the desire for a deeper understanding of letters, words, and numbers emerges.

 

Junior Pre-Kindergarten - Children 3.5 to 4.5 years

The educational philosophy of regular kindergarten has changed, making school more challenging, requiring alphabetic and cognitive skills that are not necessarily the byproduct of normal infancy development. Kindergarten expectations are higher, academic learning is serious, and homework is given typically every day.

Toddlers and young children may not have all the necessary skills that the average kindergarten program may require just by playing and participating in preschool activities, no matter how creative the child and/or the preschool may be.

Therefore, one of our goals, in both our Junior Pre-K and Pre-K programs, is to foster the child’s ability to communicate what their needs are, not only with the teacher but ideally with their peers as well.  Being able to develop an assertive voice in a safe space, may be crucial in their capacity to generalize this behavior to a larger and more challenging classroom setting.  Feeling comfortable and confident makes asking for help less risky.

 

Pre-Kindergarten -  4 and 5 year-olds

Throughout our all-day, bi-weekly pre-kindergarten program, we focus on the skills children need for success in kindergarten: Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, Science and Fine Arts. From reading readiness to reading; phonics, basic operations of elementary arithmetic and science.  Children are assigned weekly homework, essentially to learn how to bring it back to school!  We stress movement during each learning period, allowing children to re-energize and reorganize between lessons, and regularly invite guest teachers, artists, authors, and grownup professionals, to share the outside world with 10th Street.