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Daily Routine



Preschool Schedule



Drop off
8:00am



Drop your child off with their teachers outside, fully dressed for the weather and prepared for outdoor explorations.




Planning
9:00am



Before beginning outdoor explorations, teachers facilitate individual and group planning conversations to decide on the goals for the morning. When children practice making plans, they are developing specific pathways in the brain that are responsible for impulse control, problem solving, and effective communication. Throughout the year, teachers scaffold cooperative decision making and conversational tools to arrive at mutually beneficial solutions that support everyone's needs.



Outdoor Exploration
9:00-11:00



Outdoor exploration is when a great deal of learning takes place in our program. Children are free to explore and follow their own internal navigation toward answering questions that are meaningful to them. When children are allowed this freedom, they naturally gravitate towards experiences that meet their particular needs for learning, development, growth, and health.



Snack
10:30



Parents provide a healthy morning and afternoon snack, eaten outside, as children feel hungry. We allow children the freedom and support in learning how to care for themselves by noticing the many sensations that inform us about our needs.



reflection
11:00



Once all of the children have transitioned inside from outdoor explorations, we have group meeting time for reflections. The children and teachers together discuss their outdoor experiences utilizing many tools for categorization and assessment. We may make maps, tables, and graphs, or children may bring an object to share with the group, tell a story about their play, or show something they made. Reflection helps to solidify learning, develop memory and language skills, build problem solving strategies, and create a sense of community and self-worth.



indoor Explorations
11:15





After reflection, all learning centers inside are available for play. Children may paint, draw, use scissors and glue play in the sand or water create pretend play scenarios build, read, dance and play instruments care for animals explore natural materials and their collection cubbies or relax and have conversations with teachers and friends. Similar to outdoor explorations, children may play as they wish, as teachers echo, reflect, support, and share time with kids while they are in the process of naturally following their innate desire to learn.


story time
12:00





Story is an interactive experience of discussion, sharing leadership, and asking questions in which the teacher responds to the desires of the group for movement, listening, information, and contribution. The book area is regularly filled with library books that concentrate on subjects in which the kids have expressed interest. There are always a collection of natural resource books and books that represent as many aspects of diversity as we can find.



lunch
12:30





Parents provide a healthy lunch each day. Children and teachers eat together having conversation and encouraging healthy nutrition and eating habits. Kids help with lunch preparations and cleaning each day. We may have lunch outside depending on the weather, timing, and kids' needs.



Rest and sleep
1:00





Children rest or sleep for at least 30 minutes, but may sleep for as long as they wish. Teachers tell oral stories, play audio books, and create a warm and comfy atmosphere with soft lighting and gentle music. Children who do not need sleep have individual quiet playtime after resting.



Afternoon Snack & Planning
3:00





Similar to the morning routine, children may eat as they feel hungry. Before heading outside for explorations, we discuss our ideas and desires for playing on the natural playground.



Afternoon Outdoor Explorations
3:30





Afternoon explorations will utilize our natural playground as an outdoor classroom. All learning content areas are available for play including dramatic play, sensory play, fine and gross motor practice, art, writing, as well as early math and science experiences.



GoodBye
5:30





Elements Full Day Preschool Program runs from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm. Pre-care and after-care are available from 7:30 am and until 6:00 pm for a minimal additional charge.



!!!See You tomorrow





elements preschool



5141 Platt Rd
Ann Arbor, MI


(734) 369-3357