PRESCHOOL PROGRAM
The hallmark of the Reading Team is early intervention, before a lack of success in school
dampens the children’s inherent enthusiasm for learning. Research has shown that children
who enter first grade ready to read are on their way. Children who do not will almost certainly
struggle with reading for years to come. The difference is one of opportunity, one of preparing
children to have a positive and successful introduction to reading instruction and to themselves
as learners. Research tells us a great deal about the activities and experiences that make all the
difference in this challenge. We assure that the children in our programs take part in those
activities and enjoy those experiences.
Children from neighborhood day care centers and Head Start programs enjoy:
- Reading and Literacy Games
In small groups, children engage in a wide range of literacy-nurturing activities that include reading, letter and word games, writing, conversation, and story telling and retelling.
- Computer Activities
In our popular Computer Center, children take part in the Waterford Early Reading Program. Using a carefully sequenced curriculum with engaging lessons, high-quality graphics, classical music, and children’s songs from around the world, the Waterford program is helping us overcome the obstacles to early literacy development for all the Reading Team children.
- Creative Dramatics and Free Choice Activities
Children enjoy story enactments, imagination journeys, poetry recitations, theater games, music and dance. During free choice, children select their own activities from a variety of literacy-supporting puzzles, board games, card games, and reading and writing activities.