Fives & Kindergarten Programs

Three, Four Open the Door is a typical preschool that has been in existence for fifteen years. Our 5’s program meets five days per week from 9:00am until 1:30pm with the kindergarten remaining an extra half hour until 2:00pm.

Our classes are comprised of eleven students attended by one teacher and one teaching assistant. The daily schedule is comprised of reading, writing, math, socialization, science, cultural arts and foreign language.

At Three, Four Open the Door we understand that children learn in different ways, and that they need to be addressed as individuals. Our methodology incorporates many techniques to maximize a child’s learning experience.

We individualize our approach to fit each child’s capabilities and each student progresses through the curriculum at his or her own rate. Our small student to teacher ratio insures that every child’s needs are met, and our curriculum is modified on a regular basis.

Curriculum

Language Arts

Students learn in a language-enriched environment. Each classroom has its own wide range of books at different reading levels. Teachers read selected literature to their classes daily. Children meet and read individually with their teachers a minimum of three times weekly. Our teachers monitor each child’s reading progress.

Students write twice weekly in their weekend journals. This is done one on one with a teacher, using invented spelling. As the child’s abilities increase, different grammatical rules are introduced. Primary phonics, explode the code and sight word books such as Read and Write Mini Sight word Books by Scholastic are our primary readers, although phonemic awareness is continually assessed, and adjustments are made using a variety of reading programs.

Mathematics

Our teachers combine innovative techniques with traditional teaching methods to ensure that each child has a firm understanding of grouping, pattering, graphing, computation, and geometric relationships. Students work with a variety of materials to develop mathematical thinking, concepts and skills.

Social Studies

Social Studies provides the thematic link for all of our academic subjects. Our integrated curriculum brings life to the study of history, geography, and a variety of cultures. In-school studies are enhanced by field trips to museums, theatres and other places of interest.

Science

Our outdoor play area is a natural laboratory for the study of biology, botany, and ecology. Through our science curriculum children learn the basics of physical science and chemistry. As they experiment, record, and theorize, children use the scientific method of inquiry. Model-making and observational drawings reinforce their three dimensional thinking.

The Arts

Art, Music and Drama are important elements of education. Students draw, paint and sculpt. They are introduced to a wide variety of instruments and sounds; they learn to perform in groups, sometimes making their own instruments. Our students act in classroom plays as well as create and perform in our bi-annual all school productions.

World Languages

Learning a second language prepares students to participate in a multi-cultural world and facilitates later language acquisition. Our students learn Spanish through conversation, vocabulary, games, literature and music.

Physical Education

Daily outdoor activities take place on our play structures and field areas.