Parent Resources

Preschool Classrooms

In a preschool classroom you’ll see the daily routine posted in words and pictures that the child can read and understand.

You’ll see the classroom divided into seven interest areas:

• Dramatic play
• Sensory
• Art
• Writing Center
• Music
• Book / Story
• Block / Construction

Teachers talk, talk, talk to the children! They invite children to do a puzzle, prepare food in the housekeeping area, build with the blocks, or show the children the science corner.

Small group time
The teacher and a group of 10 or fewer children spend 10 to 20 minutes engaged in a specific, planned experience such as cooking, doing a science experiment, thinking about art, telling stories, reading, or looking at new classroom materials.

Large group time
During large group time, children, and teachers, gather to share stories, music, or movement experiences. These large group experiences are active. For example, children might act out stories such as Caps for Sale, or creatively move their bodies in response to animal sounds.

Leaving and Arriving
Teachers encourage children to do as much for themselves as possible; thus building their self-esteem. If a child struggles, the teacher provides encouragement by saying, “I know you can do it!”

Breakfast and Lunch
Teachers encourage children to pass the dishes and food and serve themselves. They discuss how food grows or how it is made. They talk about the color of the food, the taste, and the way food is cooked.

Outdoor/Indoor Play (Large Muscle)
The children play catch, follow the leader, run, jump, and climb.

Field trips
If you’re children are out of the room, they may be on a field trip (they go on a field trip once a month). Maybe they’re at the apple orchard, pumpkin patch, or visiting an “indoor park.”There are no breakable items in the room. Gates surround stairwells or exits, and only non-toxic materials are used.