Learn about the Learning Nest Preschool

2. Our Mission : Partnering with parents to provide children with a solid social, emotional and academic foundation as they start down the path to becoming life-long learners.

3. Our Teaching Staff Miss Amanda, ToddlerTime Miss Susan, ToddlerTime Mrs. Murphy, KinderCorral Miss Dayna, KinderCorral Miss Karin, PlaySchoolers “ The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.” Mark Van Doren

4. The Learning Nest Preschool 3 year program was developed to incorporate the Illinois State Board of Education Early Childhood Learning Standards. In addition to nurturing the development of your child’s social and emotional growth, we have put in place a program that builds the foundation necessary to support your child’s future academic challenges. Twice a year parents of the Learning Nest Preschool students receive a formal student evaluation. This evaluation is based on the benchmarks established by the State of Illinois Early Childhood Learning Standards, and provides parents with goals for children, as well as expectations for their performance by the end of their preschool years. Early childhood professionals have long recognized the importance of language and literacy in preparing children to succeed in school. Early literacy plays a key role in enabling the kind of early learning experiences that research shows are linked with academic achievement and success. The goal of the Learning Nest Preschool is to put in place the necessary skills for young children to become eager, enthusiatic, successful learners. A Comprehensive 3 Year Preschool Program

6. A picture paints a thousands words. Incorporating Early Childhood Learning Standards in Age Appropriate Ways

7. STATE BENCHMARK 19.A.ECa: Engage in active play using gross motor skills. ToddlerTime Ages 2 – 3

8. STATE BENCHMARK 25.A.ECd Visual Arts: Investigate the elements of visual arts. ToddlerTime Ages 2 – 3

9. STATE BENCHMARK 25.A.ECc Music: Investigate the elements of music. ToddlerTime Ages 2 – 3

10. STATE BENCHMARK 15.A.EC: Identify community workers and the services they provide. ToddlerTime Ages 2 – 3

11. STATE BENCHMARK 32.B.ECd: Develop relationships with children and adults. ToddlerTime Ages 2 – 3

12. STATE BENCHMARK 1.A.ECd: Identify some letters (and number), including those in own name. ToddlerTime Ages 2 – 3

14. A picture paints a thousands words. Incorporating Early Childhood Learning Standards in Age Appropriate Ways

15. PlaySchoolers Ages 3 - 4 STATE BENCHMARK 26.A.ECd Visual Arts: Participate in the visual arts. 23.A.EC Identify body parts and their functions.

16. PlaySchoolers Ages 3 - 4 STATE BENCHMARK 3.A.EC Use scribbles, approximations of letters, or known letters to represent written language.

17. PlaySchoolers Ages 3 - 4 STATE BENCHMARK 1.A.ECd Identify some letters, including those in own name.

18. PlaySchoolers Ages 3 - 4 STATE BENCHMARK 11.A.ECa Uses senses to explore and observe materials and natural phenomena.

19. PlaySchoolers Ages 3 - 4 STATE BENCHMARK 21.A.EC Follow rules and procedures when participating in group physical activities.

20. PlaySchoolers Ages 3 - 4 STATE BENCHMARK 6.A.ECa Use concepts that include number recognition,counting and one-to-one correspondence. Count with understanding and recognize“how many” in sets of objects.

21. PlaySchoolers Ages 3 - 4 STATE BENCHMARK 19.A.ECb Engage in active play using fine motor skills. 19.B.EC Coordinate movements to perform complex tasks.

22. PlaySchoolers Ages 3 - 4 STATE BENCHMARK 32.B.ECd Develop relationships with children and adults. 32.A.ECc Show empathy and caring for others.

24. A picture paints a thousands words. Incorporating Early Childhood Learning Standards in Age Appropriate Ways

25. The KinderCorral program focuses on the following reading and prereading skills: identification of upper and lower case letters, basic letter/sound association, rhyming and identifying the beginning sounds of words. When appropriate, blending of letter sounds to create simple words is presented, as well as word families and basic sight words. How to correctly print the letters of the alphabet is also presented in the KinderCorral classroom.

26. STATE BENCHMARKS 19.A.ECa Engage in active play using gross motor skills. 21.A.EC Follow rules and procedures when participating in group physical activities. KinderCorral Ages 4 - 5

27. STATE BENCHMARK 3.C.EC: Use drawing and writing skills to convey meaning and information. KinderCorral Ages 4 - 5

28. STATE BENCHMARK 11.A.ECa: Uses senses to explore and observe materials and natural phenomena. 12.E.ECb Participate in recycling in their environment. KinderCorral Ages 4 - 5

29. STATE BENCHMARK 8.C.EC: Participate in situations that involve addition and subtraction using manipulatives. 8.B.ECa Recognize, duplicate and extend simple patterns, such as sequences of sounds, shapes and colors. KinderCorral Ages 4 - 5

30. STATE BENCHMARK 26.B.EC: Use creative arts as an avenue for self-expression. KinderCorral Ages 4 - 5

31. STATE BENCHMARKS 32.B.ECa Engage in cooperative group play. 32.B.ECb Begin to share materials and experiences and take turns. 32.B.ECc Respect the rights of self and others. KinderCorral Ages 4 - 5

32. Our reading program exceeds state requirements, as many of our students are beginning to read when they leave KinderCorral. STATE BENCHMARK 2.B.EC Show independent interest in reading related activities. 1.C.ECa Retell information from a story.

33. Our commitment to children extends outside of our classroom walls.

34. A Family Reading Program A key element of our literacy program is the Family Reading Program. This program encourages families to read aloud to their children; stimulating their child’s imagination and expanding their understanding of the world. This reading program is one of the ways we partner with parents to build a solid academic foundation for their children. Little Learners Library Created in Fall of 2007 to place the tools of literacy in the hands of our preschool children, the Little Learners Library is wholly supported by donations. These generous donations have created a library that, to date, has over 2,500 books. Early Childhood Literacy: The Cornerstone of Our Preschool Program

35. Early Childhood Literacy: The Cornerstone of Our Preschool Program Family Reading Program

36. Early Childhood Literacy: The Cornerstone of Our Preschool Program Before School Library Check Out Program

37. Various times throughout the school year our students participate in extracurricular activities. These activities enrich the classroom room experience, create opportunities for parents to be involved in the school, and allow our students and families to come together as community. These activities are funded by a yearly preschool fundraiser, and include in-house field trips, holiday celebrations, monthly celebrations for our family reading program, and an end of the year family picnic. Extra Curricular Activities

38. Extra Curricular Activities All School Halloween Parade

39. Extra Curricular Activities Fall Pumpkin Festival

40. Extra Curricular Activities All School Thanksgiving Celebration

41. Extra Curricular Activities Animal Road Show at the Preschool

42. Extra Curricular Activities Santa Visits the Preschool

43. Extra Curricular Activities Fire Department In-House Field Trip

44. Extra Curricular Activities End of Year Picnic

45. Partnering with parents to provide children with a solid social, emotional, and academic foundation as they start down the path to becoming life-long .. . learners . .. To enroll your child in the Learning Nest Preschool, please call 630-858-2229 . If you have any further questions, please contact us at [email_address] , or by calling Connie Murphy at 630-858-2229