Exceptional Education on the Monterey Peninsula

List of 5 items.

• Language Arts & Literacy

  Verbal communication is of primary importance in daily interaction. In our family-style group gatherings, students are encouraged to listen, respond and interact politely and engagingly. 

  Daily composition journals allow for students’ thoughts, interests, and feelings to be expressed through drawings, dictation, and writing.

  Pencil grip development includes vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines, circles, name writing (upper and lower case) and numbers.

  As a literature-rich environment, we provide students with a variety of books, current events, and storytelling. Through written, verbal and social language, students will be able to make sense of print, media and phonologic awareness.

• Mathematics & Science

  The integration of math and science in daily experiences create a wealth of learning opportunities. Students will count to 50 by ones and tens while using math concepts such as “more than,” “less than,” and “equal to” in connection with local environmental materials like shells, pine cones, rocks, beach glass, and sand.

  Patterning, sorting, seriation, and measuring skills are encouraged through beading, cooking and science experiments. Further exploration is fostered through nature walks, animal visitors and the All Saints’ Organic Garden.

• Art & Music

  The children explore art and music in an open-ended creative format. A multitude of media including paint, pencils, pens, crayons, chalk, wire, glue, scissors, collage, lacing and recycled and found materials provide endless inspiration. The use of music in the classroom develops a child’s individuality through sound, song, rhythm and movement. Music materials, singing and dancing are incorporated daily as well as a weekly music class.

• Dramatic Play

  Children are natural observers of our world. Providing them with opportunities to express and role play allows for imagination, creativity, language and social development. Costumes, baby dolls and household materials create the basis in our classroom for open-ended play.

• Physical Environment

  The Preschool indoor environment supports a home-like atmosphere while using natural lighting, music and familiar materials found in your child’s own home. It is important for every student to feel comfortable in their learning environment to foster knowledge, creativity and social interactions.
  Our outdoor environment supports gross motor abilities through easel painting, large block building, nature walks, trikes and science exploration. Outdoor activities constitute at least an hour of our daily schedule. Indoors and outdoors, our students are engaged in learning, exploring, and growing!