Emotional
We begin our school year with a gradual transition from home to school. We use books, puppets and dramatic play to implement our goals for a happy and comfortable separation. Our parents are directly involved in these plans, because they are also part of the separation process.

Our ultimate goal is to offer experiences that will help with the emotional growth of each child. We talk about feelings, encouraging children to use their words to express their own feelings and to begin to understand how others might feel. Developing feelings of empathy are a large part of the preschool classroom. Meeting each child and family with trust, we encourage an ongoing dialogue between parents and teachers to enable the child to learn through experience and to grow emotionally.
 

Social
Opportunities for children to work on their social skills are abundant and ongoing throughout the school year. Indoors and out, our program enables children to engage with one another, whether it is with one child or in small groups. With three teachers in each classroom, it is possible for teachers to divide themselves in the room so they can be available to assist children in their interactions when necessary.

In working with the children, teachers serve as role models in various situations. Teachers are supportive and protective of all the children as they learn and grow. Children must have ongoing opportunities for social experiences as well as time and space to play alone if that is their choice. By respecting children's choices within our environment, they are learning to take responsibility for themselves and develop inner controls.

Large and Small Motor
Ravinia Nursery School encourages the development of large and small motor skills with age appropriate equipment tailored for outdoor and indoor activity. Our outdoor equipment encourages climbing, swinging, pedaling and other activities geared for young children. The grassy area and two sand play areas are available for games and creative play. With the addition of our multi-purpose room, we are also able to offer some large motor activity inside.

 We also emphasize the development of small motor skills. Each day many activity centers are set up for the children to experiment with a variety of materials. For example, we use play dough and slime, finger paint and temperas and water and sand play, We also have available paper, pencil, markers, glue, a variety of stencils and wooden shapes and bins filled with collage materials at our open ended art centers.

Cognitive
Our environment is structured in such a way that learning is ongoing throughout the day. The classrooms and playground is designed to stimulate and encourage the children to be curious, to question and to explore the world as he or she is ready. Materials are present which allow the child to progress and develop at his/her own pace. Puzzles, sorting materials, attribute blocks and small manipulatives are examples of some of the materials we use. Teachers are available to guide the children as their natural curiosity develops. Teachers facilitate learning as they help the children to question or compare as well as observe similarities and differences.

We encourage the children to use language to express what they see, think and feel. We write stories, make lists, draw pictures, and use dramatic play as other forms of expression. We also talk about the year as it changes trying to give the children a sense of time and continuity. We observe the seasons and the changes in the environment that occur as they pertain to all living things.