In a nurturing environment, our three-year-olds grow their love of learning. They explore the world around them, make lasting friends, and express themselves creatively – all while absorbing new information and getting ready for pre-literacy learning. Our Nursery classrooms are led through an integrated approach by a head General Studies teacher, a head Judaic studies teacher and an assistant teacher who work together throughout the day.
Children reach their cognitive, social, and emotional milestones in the care of experienced, supportive teachers. Teachers also nurture a strong foundation of Jewish identity and encourage our children to take an active role in their traditions through stories, music, and celebration.
Emotional Growth
Play is a child’s way of learning. While playing, children engage with new friends and make discoveries that encourage self-expression, healthy interpersonal interactions, and cooperative effort. Play also gives our children the opportunity to explore their feelings and take on new and different roles. Each child’s self-confidence and sense of independence grows – encouraged and guided every step of the way by attentive, experienced teachers in a warm environment.
Language Arts
In our classrooms, learning is active! Children listen, search, feel, build, and create as they discover their effect on the world around them. Language development is encouraged through activities like role-playing, listening to and telling stories, and more.
While playing, learning, and creating, children participate in activities that foster muscle development, fine motor coordination, and hand-eye coordination – skills which contribute to reading and writing readiness.
Emergent literacy is viewed as a process, not as a specific time when children learn to read. Children are surrounded by the written word in their classroom environment, and “print awareness” occurs very early. Teachers encourage children to view the written word as a natural, functioning aspect of the environment. At this age, children often begin to recognize their written names, and their classmate’s names as well.
Mathematics
Through the use of toys and manipulatives, children become aware of basic mathematical relationships. They are exposed to one-on-one correspondence, basic shapes, unit blocks, patterning, and counting.
Science
Scientific concepts are an important part of our nursery program. Measuring, observing matter changes, and tasting are just some of the readiness activities encompassed in both science and mathematics.
Ongoing activities in the nursery classroom include the daily weather chart, the changing seasons, mixing colors, experimenting with magnets, planting seeds, classifying objects, and sand table and water play.
Creative Arts
Artwork is a vital part of every aspect of our nursery program. With every project, we encourage our three-year-olds to express their creativity and take pride in their work. They experiment with paint and easels, crayons, markers, clay scissors, hole punchers, paste, glue, and collage materials.
Self-expression is encouraged through dance, exercise routines, and age-appropriate socio-dramatic play.
Music and Movement
Children learn a repertoire of songs and dances for every holiday and special occasion. They make music with instruments and learn creative games that actively reinforce our readiness program.
Outdoor play, circle games, movement, and indoor and nature walks are all part of our daily program.
Children grow their joy and pride in their Jewish identity and their deep connection to Israel, our Jewish homeland. Hebrew is used in songs, games, and daily routines, with students becoming adept at seeing and understanding their people’s language.
Children add to the daily tefillot, prayers, they already know and continue to learn about Shabbat and Jewish holidays through stories, song and dance, arts and crafts, puzzles, cooking, celebrations, and more.
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