Watch Me Grow Curriculum

We understand how difficult it is to choose the right preschool for your child.  You want the very best.  You want your child to be safe, loved, nurtured, taught.  We hope that  the  information provided here will help you when making this important decision.    

Benefits of Preschool

• Quality preschools focus on three developmental areas of growth: physical, cognitive, and social/emotional.
• The leading trend in early education is to follow the Developmental Appropriate Practice Philosophy. This educational philosophy focuses on what is best for each child developmentally. A mainstay of this philosophy is play.  Young children learn best through play.  They explore the world around them.
• The preschool of today is more like the kindergarten of year’s past.  More and more pressures are put upon kindergarten teachers to reach certain levels of mastery.  Preschool has become the place where children get used to being in school, learn to share, practice cutting and writing, learn their numbers and letters.  At Watch Me Grow, we do these things and more in a fun, relaxed way that prepares children for kindergarten.
   

Why Watch Me Grow?

• Watch Me Grow has proven itself to be a leader in preschool education. Kindergarten teachers and school administrators all over the area respect the education that we give our students. When they enter kindergarten, the children from Watch Me Grow are more than prepared. This success that these children experience continue throughout their school years.  We often hear teachers say, "We can tell which children have come from Watch Me Grow."
   
• Watch Me Grow allows for flexible scheduling. You choose the days you’d like your child to attend.
   
• Watch Me Grow has the most comprehensive parent-teacher communication in the area. Everyday at pick up you will be greeted with something positive about your child. You will also be able to view a weekly journal and photos placed on our website.
   
• Great Environment-  As you walk into Watch Me Grow, you will immediately know this is a fun place for children. The bright, cheerful place illustrates the attitude of the people. Imaginations soar as children play and learn in this wonderful, creative environment. Children will discover new worlds as they experience each monthly theme.   The cleanliness of Watch Me Grow is important to us.  Toys, furniture, trim, etc. are sanitized often. 
   

Here's what we do each day!

Circle Time
Every day, children will participate in circle time.   Here, children sing, dance, share, listen, and learn.   Each day, we will spend time with Zoo-phonics, count, listen to stories, and play fun learning games.

Centers
Children choose centers where they learn and play.  Though they may think they are just playing, they are really learning much!

Block Center:  The block center is a favorite. Children use unit blocks, people, cars, and their imaginations in building houses, roads, bridges, ramps, etc.   The children cooperate with each other as they make their structures.

Dramatic Play Center:  This center changes with the theme.   During the farm month, for example, the dramatic play area will be transformed into a barn.  Children use language skills, their imagination, problem solving skills, and cooperation .

Arts & Crafts  Discovery Center:  Here children can create. They use scissors, glue, tape, markers, crayons, paint, play-doh, paper and again their imaginations.  This center is often process oriented, where children create on their own.

Math Discovery and Zoo-phonic Centers:
These two centers are more teacher directed. Often the children will be making something that has to do with the letter or math skill of the week. Here, the children work on fine motor skills as they reinforce content from circle time.

Sensory/Discovery Center: Children explore different mediums such as sand, water, salt, corn, oatmeal, etc. They use measurement cups, strainers, and their hands to learn about different textures and measurements. This is more of a science based center where children are free to explore.

Library Center:  A variety of books are available for children to enjoy. Each month new books are brought out for children to enjoy.

Puzzles and Fine Motor Manipulatives:
Children gain much strength in their fingers by using small manipulatives. Here, they often work on patterns, lacing, sorting, etc.  Strengthening hand coordination helps as they develop writing skills.
 

Computer Center: The children have access to learning games on the computer. These games compliment what we are teaching.  Children gain a good use of a mouse and learning is reinforced.  The games such as Hooked on Phonics,  Zoo-phonics, and Jumpstart are all education games.

Snack Time and Outdoor Play-  Part of a preschoolers education is learning to care for themselves.  Children will wash their hands, have a healthy snack, and clean up their area.  They will also have time to play outside.  We have many fun outdoor centers such as: golf, basketball, soccer, sandbox, school house, farm house and a climbing/slide structure.

Zoo-phonics

                               

 

 

Much of what we do is based around a wonderful program called Zoo-phonics.  We are pleased that many of the schools have taken our lead and  have added Zoo-phonics to their curriculum.  We believe so much in Zoo-phonics and its benefits that we teach Zoo-phonics to other teachers   around the Great Lakes Region.   There is so much to learn about zoo-phonics that we recommend you visiting their website to see what it is all about.  You can also click on  Zoo Basics in the Watch Me Grow  Prospective Families section on our home page. 

We embrace all the possibilities that zoo-phonics has and for that reason all of our children know their sounds and letters before entering kindergarten and many are reading beginning words.  The children are introduced to blends, silent e and many other more advanced skills.  This is done in a fun way and we never put pressure on children to master these harder concepts.  But it is really great to see what they can do.

      The Arts 

                        We believe strongly in the benefits of the arts.  Our children will learn visual art concepts such as line, curve, dot, value, color, etc.   They sing and move every day.  They will also have on stage opportunities twice a year.  We have an relaxed, fun Christmas program and at the  end-of-the-year we put on a great performance at Crooked Tree Arts Center.    We alternate the production every year between the productions  Come Meet Us At the Zoo and Come Meet us at the Circus.    The children have fun with these shows and it is great experience even for the most shy child!