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Hello and welcome to the Discovery Preschool Three-Year-Old classroom! We are open Monday through Friday from 7:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

We operate year-round and are closed on major holidays such as New Year's, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

We offer educational and play-based childcare and are excited to meet you and your family!

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The monthly theme is: Interesting Insects!

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Featured Activity:

Title: Bug Home Builders

Objective: Children will manipulate various blocks and use their creativity to create homes for small plastic bugs.

Brief Description:

1.     Introduce a large basket of bugs to the block area.

2.     Encourage children to “build” homes for these bugs however they’d like.

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Featured Activity:

Title: Ant Observations!

Objective: Children will use scientific inquiry skills while observing an ant mountain and drawing what they observe.

Brief Description:

1.     With a small group of children (5-6), place the ant mountain on the floor.

2.     Give each child a clipboard with a “My Insect Discoveries” paper attached along with markers.

3.     Encourage children to lay on their bellies to observe the insects.

4.     Encourage children to share what they notice, see, and wonder about.

5.     Encourage children to draw what they are observing.

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Featured Activity:

Title: Insect Observation Station

Objective: The children will observe various plastic insects in various habitats using magnifying glasses and will then record their observations on a data sheet.

Brief Description:

1.     There will be three habitats with insects set up for children to observe: one will have green shredded paper in it to imitate grass, another will have dirt in it, and another will have moss. Each habitat will have other materials such as rocks, flowers, and leaves.

2.     Children will use magnifying glasses to observe what they are seeing in each habitat.

3.     Children will use an “Insect Observations” data sheet to record their name and what they observed.

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Title of Book: The Grouchy Ladybug

Author: Eric Carle

Illustrator: Eric Carle

Year: 1977

Publisher: HarperCollins

Story Summary: “ A grouchy ladybug, looking for a fight, challenges everyone she meets regardless of their size or strength.” (from librarything.com)

Story-Based Center Activity:

Title: Grouchy Ladybugs, A-Z

1. Cut out 26 ladybugs made from construction paper.

2. Print one letter from A-Z on each ladybug. (Aa, Bb, Cc)

3. Laminate the ladybugs.

4. Shuffle and place the ladybugs in a small basket.

5. Attach a string to the Book Center wall at children’s eye level, adding 26 clothespins.

6. Children must find and attach the ladybugs in order from Aa-Zz on the clothesline.

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Featured Activity:

Title: Beehive Counting

Objective: Children will gain an understanding of the numbers 1-6 by engaging in a counting activity involving pompoms and mini eraser bees.

Materials:

-        Egg carton

-        Yellow paint and hot glue (to drizzle over egg carton prior to activity)

-        Large yellow foam die

-        Yellow pompoms

-        Mini eraser bees

-        Yellow tweezers (optional)

-        Bucket

Brief Description:

1.     I will drizzle yellow paint and hot glue over the egg carton prior to the activity to make the egg carton look like a beehive.

2.     In a bucket next to the egg carton, there will be yellow pompoms and mini eraser bees.

3.     Children will be encouraged to roll the die and count out loud whatever number they landed on.

4.     Children will be encouraged to count out the corresponding number of mini eraser bees or pollen (yellow pompoms), and place it into the beehive (egg carton).

5.     To encourage fine motor work, children may use tweezers to count out the pollen and bees if desired.

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Featured Activity:

Title: Bug Stamping

Materials:

-        Bug stamps

-        Ink pads

-        Large roll of paper

Brief Description:

1.     Prior to the activity, I will cut a large piece of paper and tape it to the art table.

2.     Various bug stamps and ink pads will be laid out for children.

3.     Children will be invited to come over to the table and use the stamps and ink pads on the paper.

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We follow OCFS Regulations. Discovery Preschool is a Three-Year-Old Classroom, so the ratio is 1 teacher to 7 children. We have two teachers in our classroom, so we are able to have 14 children in our classroom.

In order for everyone to fit comfortably in the classroom, we account for at least 35 square feet per child, so our classroom is around 650 square feet.

We also work hard to define and separate our Learning Centers so that children may play and explore their surroundings comfortably.

lakeshorelearning.com

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The loft in our dramatic play area is one of the children's favorite items in our classroom! They enjoy using our loft as a bedroom, where they are able to put baby dolls to sleep, rock them in our rocking chair, change them at the changing table, and so much more.

The loft provides ample opportunities for children to explore and imagine with dramatic play, and provides them with a lot more room to do so!

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An insect theme dramatic play area: How to make an insect pretend play lab. Early Learning Ideas. (2024, April 3). https://earlylearningideas.com/insect-theme-dramatic-play-area/

Bug Centers and Activities. Pocket of Preschool. (2023, October 24). https://pocketofpreschool.com/bug-centers-and-activities/

Complete classroom® for preschool: Lakeshore®. Lakeshore Learning Materials. (n.d.). https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/complete-classrooms/preschool/

New York State Office for Children and Family Services (June 2020). Group Childcare Regulations 418
http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/childcare/daycare_regs.asp, OCFS: NYS

The Very Hungry Caterpillar sequencing printable. School Time Snippets. (n.d.). https://www.schooltimesnippets.com/2016/03/the-very-hungry-caterpillar-sequencing-activity.html