Our Learning Standards

The Mini 3s is designed for children that were born after Sept. 1. Our Mini 3s focus on self-identity, self-control, social development and motor skills. Over the course of the year our Mini 3s are expected to accomplish the following milestones:

• Separates from parents without difficulty 

• Can make activity choices without teacher help 

• Seeks out other children in play 

• Follows two-step directions 

• Displays enthusiasm about doing things for themselves 

• Can express with words rather than actions 

• Shows interest in letters and words 

• Is curious about print in the environment 

• Shows appreciation for books 

• Represents ideas in stories through pictures, dictation and play 

• Uses scribbles and draws unconventional shapes to write 

• Learns to interact with peers, to give and take 

• Engages in make-believe play and imitates adult roles 

• Climbs up and down playground equipment 

• Demonstrates fine motor development such as beading, opening lids on jars, Velcro, zippers, buttons, drawing tool control and use of scissors 

• Approaches new tasks and solves problems through observation, hands-on trial and error, and repetition. 

• Is beginning to sort objects based on simple categories 

• Is beginning to count objects  

The 3-Year-Old Class is designed for children that were born on or before Sept. 1. Like the Mini 3s/Co-Op, this class focuses on self-identity, self-control, social development and motor skills. In addition, during the course of the year the following learning standards will be met:

• Gains knowledge by listening 

• Follows two or three-step instructions 

• Is beginning to read print in the environment (names, letters, signs, labels, logos) 

• Plays at reading by looking at pictures and composing the story 

• Shows appreciation for books and enjoys stories 

• Is curious about words and letter organization (left to right, beginning letter and ending letter) 

• Demonstrates ability to ask appropriate questions in a group activity 

• Sings and moves to familiar rhymes, songs and chants

• Is able to modify behavior for various situations and settings

• Plays in group and begins to organize activity showing increased complex dramatic play 

• Uses objects to represent other objects in play (broom is a motorcycle) 

• Helps others with tasks, helps another in need 

• Verbally expresses personal knowledge about themselves

• Responds appropriately when adults or peers initiate interactions

• Is able to initiate and sustain positive interactions with others

• Expresses empathy for others

• Demonstrates positive ways to resolve conflict

• Respects the rights and property of others and the learning materials in the classroom

• Shows awareness of differences and similarities between themselves and others

• Moves legs, hands and feet in rhythm 

• Uses pencil and drawing tools with confidence 

• Writing advances from scribbling to recognizable letters 

• Demonstrates ability to write their own name 

• Demonstrates ability to recognize their own name in print 

• Uses scissors with control 

• Uses a variety of materials, media, tools and techniques to create original works of art

• Recognizes basic geometric shapes 

• Recognizes colors, size differences 

• Copies simple patterns through matching and imitation

• Verbally describes similarities and differences in patterns and objects

• Sorts objects by two recognizable attributes (size, color, shape, function) 

• Counts to 10 or higher with emerging one-to-one correspondence 

• Recalls words in a song or poem 

• Is comfortable exploring the immediate environment and the school environment beyond the classroom

• Demonstrates increased awareness and eagerness to participate in classroom activities that ask questions, seek predictions and hypotheses about how the world works

• Uses a variety of tools (magnifying glass, ruler, scales) and materials to investigate the world around them

• Demonstrates ability to persist with an investigation over a period of time

The 3-Year-Old Class is designed for children that were born on or before Sept. 1. Like the Mini 3s/Co-Op, this class focuses on self-identity, self-control, social development and motor skills. In addition, during the course of the year the following learning standards will be met:

• Gains knowledge by listening 

• Follows two or three-step instructions 

• Is beginning to read print in the environment (names, letters, signs, labels, logos) 

• Plays at reading by looking at pictures and composing the story 

• Shows appreciation for books and enjoys stories 

• Is curious about words and letter organization (left to right, beginning letter and ending letter) 

• Demonstrates ability to ask appropriate questions in a group activity 

• Sings and moves to familiar rhymes, songs and chants

• Is able to modify behavior for various situations and settings

• Plays in group and begins to organize activity showing increased complex dramatic play 

• Uses objects to represent other objects in play (broom is a motorcycle) 

• Helps others with tasks, helps another in need 

• Verbally expresses personal knowledge about themselves

• Responds appropriately when adults or peers initiate interactions

• Is able to initiate and sustain positive interactions with others

• Expresses empathy for others

• Demonstrates positive ways to resolve conflict

• Respects the rights and property of others and the learning materials in the classroom

• Shows awareness of differences and similarities between themselves and others

• Moves legs, hands and feet in rhythm 

• Uses pencil and drawing tools with confidence 

• Writing advances from scribbling to recognizable letters 

• Demonstrates ability to write their own name 

• Demonstrates ability to recognize their own name in print 

• Uses scissors with control 

• Uses a variety of materials, media, tools and techniques to create original works of art

• Recognizes basic geometric shapes 

• Recognizes colors, size differences 

• Copies simple patterns through matching and imitation

• Verbally describes similarities and differences in patterns and objects

• Sorts objects by two recognizable attributes (size, color, shape, function) 

• Counts to 10 or higher with emerging one-to-one correspondence 

• Recalls words in a song or poem 

• Is comfortable exploring the immediate environment and the school environment beyond the classroom

• Demonstrates increased awareness and eagerness to participate in classroom activities that ask questions, seek predictions and hypotheses about how the world works

• Uses a variety of tools (magnifying glass, ruler, scales) and materials to investigate the world around them

• Demonstrates ability to persist with an investigation over a period of time