2-year-old program
The 2-year-old classes are generally limited to nine children each, and there is a teacher and an assistant in each classroom.
Our first priority is to provide our 2-year-olds with a positive first group experience and to help children feel that school is a fun and safe place to be! We recognize that most 2-year-olds will need time to acclimate to school and that they need loving reassurance that we will take care of them and return them to mommy or daddy at the end of the day. Once they become comfortable at school, they begin a wonderful journey with us!
Two-year-olds exhibit mostly parallel play, which means that they will play alongside a peer, but not necessarily interact with that peer. They are keen observers of the world around them and, as they mature, they begin interacting more with their peers and forming relationships. We attempt to foster that move from parallel play to more cooperative play as the year progresses.
Children at this age absorb knowledge quickly, and learn so much through play and direct instruction. Our teachers target the appropriate developmental milestones, such as using words to express themselves, playing with others, sharing and taking turns, sorting colors, shapes, numbers and letters, completing sentences and beginning rhyming, and developing independence, just to name a few.
Two-year-olds cannot always express their feelings, which is why it is so important to maintain frequent and ongoing parent/teacher communication. Any change in the child’s home environment can affect that child in school, so it is imperative that parents share those changes with teachers. Teachers make themselves available if a parent wishes to discuss anything, so please do not hesitate to request a meeting or phone call, or to email your teacher. In turn, teachers will be sure to share with parents any joys or concerns they have with a child.
3-year-old program
The 3-year-old classes are generally limited to 12 children each, and there is a teacher and an assistant in each classroom.
Our three year old program continues to promote the love of learning while still allowing for social, emotional, and cognitive growth through developmentally appropriate interactions.
Our 3-year-old schedule consists of Circle time, centers, small group, creative art, snack time and story time. Of course, singing, dancing and music are woven into every day as well! Spread through the year, students will study various age-appropriate themes such as "getting to know you," seasons of the year, holidays, weather, and animals. We foster the development of appropriate social skills through imaginary play. Children role-play and learn how to engage in conversation, show concern for others, take leadership roles, problem solve, and use words to express feelings, etc.
Academic goals for our threes include a more solid foundation for concepts like colors, shapes, letters and numbers. In addition, they begin to recognize and write their name, use scissors, copy shapes and patterns, retell stories, understand basic science and nature concepts, compare and contrast objects, learn basic patterns, etc.
Frequent communication between the parents and teachers is an important goal. Teachers make themselves available if a parent wishes to discuss anything, so please do not hesitate to request a meeting or phone call, or to email your teacher. In turn, teachers will be sure to share with parents any joys or concerns they have with a child.
pre-k 4-year-old program
The Pre-K 4-year-old classes are generally limited to 12 children each, and there is a teacher and an assistant in each classroom. The longer day provides adequate time for both student- and teacher-directed activities.
Our Pre-K program introduces more academic exposure while continuing to promote a love of learning and allowing for social, emotional, and cognitive growth through developmentally appropriate interactions. While these children are ready for higher level learning, we do not sacrifice their unstructured times, such as outdoor play and centers.
Pre-K children have developed some strong bonds with their friends and we continue to foster the use of developmentally appropriate social skills throughout each day. These children are mastering how to express their feelings appropriately, know when they have made a good or bad choice, and play appropriately with their peers. In addition, the teachers introduce and explore character traits, such as being kind, sympathetic, cooperative, trustworthy, thankful, thoughtful, encouraging, etc.
Academic goals for our Pre-K students include knowing their colors, shapes, numbers through 10, and capital and lower case letters of the alphabet and their sounds. They begin to tell and retell stories and illustrate them, sequence items, and perform high-level patterning. In addition, the pre-Ks begin a Handwriting Without Tears program, which guides them to form their letters and numbers properly and reinforces fine motor skills and letter and sound recognition. Children also begin journaling and storywriting. Math manipulatives are used to teach basic graphing, addition and subtraction skills. The Pre-K day is purposely structured, with concentrated academic goals each day.
Frequent communication between the parents and teachers is an important goal. Teachers make themselves available if a parent wishes to discuss anything, so please do not hesitate to request a meeting or phone call, or to email your teacher. In turn, teachers will be sure to share with parents any joys or concerns they have with a child.
kindergarten program
The Kindergarten class is generally limited to 16 children, and there is a teacher and an assistant in the classroom. Kindergarten's small class size, combined with a five-hour day, allow teachers to become familiar with each child’s learning style and abilities, as well as explore subjects in great depth.
Beach Day School researches the types of curriculum that both Public and Private schools use from year-to-year. We adopt and combine curriculum that we believe provides the most effective way to teach various subject areas and maximize student learning. Our goal is to meet each child where they are in their social, emotional and academic development, and provide them with whatever tools they might need to succeed. Our most current curriculum utilizes a balanced literacy approach which incorporates reading, phonics, and language arts. The strongest elements of whole language and phonics are combined to create a program that aims to guide students toward proficient and lifelong reading. Children are assessed frequently to assure progress. Centers are an important part of our "hands-on" approach to learning, and STEM/STEAM exploration is integral to Beach Day's curriculum. We strive for academic excellence by exposing Kindergarteners to higher level math concepts, science and social studies, handwriting, language arts, music and art.
Music is incorporated throughout a Kindergartener's day, as well as 45-minute theory and song lesson, once a week with our music teacher. The children also receive an immersive, 30-minute Spanish lesson each week with our Spanish teacher from Academy Languages.
Beach Day provides a solid foundation for the development of positive character traits, and we stress the importance of being a good citizen while teaching children about God's beautiful world. Most importantly, we want our Kindergarteners to know that we love and appreciate them for their unique and wonderful qualities.