When you enter our classrooms it may appear that we are playing instead of working. Play IS the work of a child. Research has shown that play is the most effective way for a child to learn. The play opportunities in our Early Childhood classrooms are intentional and structured to facilitate learning.

Here are some things we learn through play:

• Social Skills - sharing and self-control

• Fine Motor Skills - to prepare our hands for writing

• Gross Motor Skills - coordination and balance

• Creative Expression - taking pride in our work, self-direction, and imagination

• Sensory Sensations - feeling various textures and working with different mediums during play

• Emotional Awareness - talking about our feelings and emotions

• Literacy Skills - book care and recognizing familiar words

• Math Skills - counting, sorting, and comparing

• Science Skills - constructing, experimenting, and observing