Pre-school classrooms for 3's and 4's at The Village School are separated into six to eight individual play areas called interest centers or discovery centers. Anywhere from two to four children can play in each area. Each area is designated for its particular role in the pre-school landscape, for example Dramatic play, Blocks, Art, Manipulatives, Science, etc. The equipment in each area is chosen for its ability to teach and entertain children on different levels of development. The teacher also enhances the learning environments with special props, games, books, music tapes, art materials, etc. to foster learning of specific concepts. Please see the schedule and curriculum for 3's and 4's.

Our goal is to help your child learn factual information about the world in which he or she lives. To this end pre-school teachers develop their weekly lesson plans around a theme. The scope of this theme broadens as your child matures. For example, pets are a favorite of all age groups. The amount of information learned increases as children grow in their ability to grasp more details. In the pre-school classes your child is introduced to the alphabet and begins associating individual letters with beginning sounds. Learning is split between teacher-directed and self-directed activities, quiet and active play, indoors or outdoors.

Basic Discovery Centers

During a normal day, pre-school and older children will have the opportunity to play in eight basic centers:

• Dramatic Play
• Art
• Sand
• Water
• Science
• Manipulatives
• Blocks
• Quiet (library/listening)