Learning Through Play in Preschool

 Learning Through Play

Play is one of the most important ways children learn and grow! Through hands-on experiences, children build confidence, strengthen social skills, develop creativity, and practice problem solving.

Activities like gross motor games, bubble play, fine motor and sensory exploration all support different areas of development while keeping learning engaging and fun. Gross motor games help build coordination, balance and strength while fine motor strengthens small muscles needed for writing and every day tasks.

Play also contributes to curiosity, creativity, language development, and emotional regulation. Play is an important part of each child's day from infants through prek.

When children learn through play, they are actively exploring the worlds around them, developing important life skills, and creating a strong foundation for future learning.

The Benefits of Open-Ended Questions

 

Open-ended questions are a powerful tool in early childhood education because they invite children to think, explore, and express themselves in meaningful ways. Instead of asking questions with one  correct answer, open-ended questions encourage children to share ideas, make predictions, and explain their reasoning. 

These types of questions also support social-emotional development. When children are given the space to share their thoughts, they feel heard and valued which helps build confidence and independence. It also allows teachers to better understand each child's thinking process which allows them to guide learning on an individual basis.

 

Incorporating open-ended questions during daily routines can turn simple moments into rich learning experiences. Over time, children become more curious, engaged, and willing to take risks in their learning.

Some examples of open-ended questions are:

What do you think will happen next?

How did you build that?

What do you think we should do?

How can we use these materials?

Why do you think the character did that?

What inspired you to draw that?

Green Our Scene

 

Green Our Scene: Little Hands, Big Impact 🌱

This month our school theme is "Green Our Scene" and we are exploring what it means to care for our environment!

We are planting flowers, recycling materials, and learning how to make our earth a little greener for everyone.

We are passing out seed packets for our families to participate in Green Our Scene and help continue our teaching beyond the classrooms.

Why Planting Matters🌸

Planting flowers isn't just fun, it is full of meaningful learning experiences! As our students help to plant flowers they are building important skills like responsibility, patience, and teamwork.

Gardening also supports early science learning. Children begin to notice how sunlight, water, and soil help plants grow. They ask questions, make observations, and feel a sense of excitement when they start to see changes!

Planting flowers helps to beautify our space, but it also supports our environment. Flowers attract important pollinators like bees and butterflies, which can help plants grow and thrive.

Ways we can "Green Our Scene" Together ♻

Green Our Scene doesn't stop at the garden! Here are a few simple ways families can continue helping the environment at home:

- Plant flowers, herbs, or even small vegetables together

- Turn off lights when leaving a room

- Use reusable water bottles and containers

- Pick up litter in your neighborhood

- Recycle when possible

- Save water by turning off the faucet while brushing teeth

Little Learners, Lasting Change 💚

It is inspiring to see our students take pride in caring for the environment. Through activities like planting, they are learning that they have the power to make a difference even at a young age. 

Together, we are growing more than flowers, we are growing the future caretakers of our world!

Send us pictures of your families helping to Green Our Scene! We cannot wait to see how impactful this is for your family and community.

Fire Drills

Fire Drill

Fire drills may be one of the things that seem ordinary in schools but they are not insignificant. They may only last a few minutes but they play a critical role in keeping students and staff safe, prepared, and confident in the event of a real emergency.

           

Fire drills can be loud and surprising, so taking the time to explain what will happens makes a big difference on our little ones. Teachers are able to walk through the steps, model calm behavior, and reassure students that the alarm is a signal that helps to keep us safe.

After our fire drill, we were able to get a special visit from firefighters! Meeting these community helpers helps to reduce fear and builds understanding of the drill. 

  

Our students LOVED getting to meet some of the men who help to keep our community safe!

The Benefits of Circle Time

Circle time is a cornerstone of childcare classrooms and offers much more than a simple gathering routine.  

One of the biggest benefits of circle time is the development of social skills. The interactions that students have during circle time help build empathy, patience, and respect, all of which are essential for lifelong relationships.

During our circle times the teachers will bring out our frog puppets to cue that it is time to learn and they will implement conscious discipline routines. The circle time conscious discipline routines consist of four key components that make up our Brain Smart Start. 

 Unite - Bringing the students together

Connect - Having students participate together, building social skills

Calm - Engaging in a calming technique 

Commit - Committing to keep the classroom and each other safe

Circle time is a powerful took that nurtures social-emotional growth, supports language development, and helps children feel valued as part of a group.

 Happy Holidays from AOR🎄

As we move into this joyful season, we at AOR want to pause and celebrate what truly matter most - Family, Connection, and Community. This time of year gives us so many opportunities to slow down, come together, and create memories that last far beyond the holiday lights.

We loved watching families gather for Friendsgiving, sharing laughter, stories, and the warmth that only good food and good company can bring. Moments like these remind us how powerful it is when people come together to support one another.

  

One of our favorite parts of the season has been seeing the pure joy on children's faces during Cookie and Pictures with Santa. There's nothing quite like the magic in the room when little ones share their wish list and experience the wonder of the holidays. These
gatherings
truly capture the spirit of connection, celebration, and togetherness that we treasure so deeply.

From our AOR family to yours, we wish you a warm, joyful, and connected holiday season. May your days be filled with love, laughter, moments that bring you closer to the people who matter most.

🎄Happy Holidays! ❄

 Sensory Play in Preschool

Sensory play is more than just a fun activity for the little ones - it's the foundation for learning, development, and exploration in early childhood. From the moment a baby is born, they begin to experience the world through their senses: sight, touch, sound, taste, and smell. As children grow, sensory experiences continue to shape how they understand their environment, build connections, and develop critical skills.

                            

Sensory play includes any activity that stimulates one or more of a child's senses. It encourages children to investigate, experiment, and create using their natural curiosity. This type of play also supports language development, fine and gross motor skills, problem solving, and emotional regulation. 

                                            

Some examples of sensory play are:

• Playing with water or sand
• Finger painting
• Exploring textures (fabric, playdough, foam, grass)
• Listening to music or nature sounds
• Smelling scented materials
• Tasting safe foods with different flavors and textures