Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.

At South County Pre-Kindergarten Co-op, our classes follow The Creative Curriculum for Preschool by Dodge, Colker and Heroman, readying your child for Kindergarten while learning through play.

Children whose first school experience centers around play, “are leading their own learning, exploring the unknown, and finding the joy of learning” (Mardel et al, 2023). For nearly 50 years, SCPC has embraced this philosophy, sowing the seeds of cooperation, kindness, and a love of learning in our students.

We complement our curriculum with frequent field trips, in-class presentations, and special guests, many of which are open to siblings and other family members.

 Our 3's program meets from 9:00am - 12:00pm twice per week, and is heavily focused on social and emotional growth.  Your child will learn to:

Listen at group time

Await turn in playing

Cooperate in group play

Follow classroom routines and directions

Develop small motor control and coordination

Recognize their written name

Recognize colors and shapes

Our 4's program meets from 9:00am - 12:00pm three times per week, and builds upon the skills from the 3's program. As they move toward Kindergarten, they learn literacy, mathematic, science, social studies, and arts skills, as well as refine their motor development and social foundations.

Literacy:

Name writing

Letter recognition

Phonemic awareness

Expanded language opportunities 

Story writing

Journal writing

Mathematic:

Number recognition

One-to-one correspondence

Solving simple math problems

Create a simple pattern

Graphing

Concept of more/less

Measurement

Science:

Plant life cycle

Weather

Dinosaurs

Form a hypothesis then conduct an experiment to find the answer. (e.g.,  “What makes ice melt the fastest?”)

Nutrition/food groups

Hibernation

Social Studies:

Cultures

Diverse holiday celebrations

Neighborhoods/where you live

Community Helpers

Native American study

Arts:

Emphasis on creativity

Create a visual project illustrating a book/story that was read

Acting out a story

Using different instruments

Creative movement 

Singing songs

Motor Development & Social Foundations:

Obstacle course

Balancing

Cooperation games

Physical fitness & outdoor time

Manipulative toys

Cutting with scissors/holding a pencil

Extended Day is an optional add on offered to students in the 4's class. It is held from 12:00 - 3:00pm on designated days. The program emphasizes art and other special enrichment activities, including guest presentations.

Additional resources for families to support Kindergarten readiness:

https://www.aacps.org/cms/lib/MD02215556/Centricity/Domain/234/school.pdf

https://www.readyatfive.org/shop

https://www.aacpl.net/kindergarten

https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/23/05/embracing-learning-through-play

Citations:

Mardell, B., Ryan, J., Krechevsky, M., Baker, M., Schulz, T. S., and LiuConstant, Y. (2023). A pedagogy of play: Supporting playful learning in classrooms and schools. Cambridge, MA: Project Zero.