Programs - Golden Bay Preschool

Our youngest learners need to feel safe and supported so they can learn with their whole body and all of their senses. In our toddler program, teachers focus on developing supportive and trusting relationships with the children. We create rich learning environments that encourage every young child to explore and discover, ultimately helping them engage in experiences designed to support their optimal development in all domains.

The children in our Toddler Program experience fully hands-on early childhood learning experiments. They develop language, increase attention span and strengthen physical capabilities. We are here to provide the environment that matches and supports these newfound abilities. Our toddlers engage in sensory experiences, create art, learn songs, have exposure to science experiments, and participate in block building and dramatic play in a deeper and more multifaceted manner.

At this age children naturally want to take agency over their lives. We foster this development by providing children with ample opportunities to make self-directed choices throughout the day. We help children pursue and embrace greater autonomy and provide the flexibility of choice.

Children develop language skills long before they can speak. Spending ample time reading to them daily allows them to recognize the sounds of language and helps them associate reading as a pleasurable experience.

Preschool Program (3-4 years old)

Our 3-4 years old children are ready to reach new milestones. They are beginning to build deeper relationship with their peers. Because they are constantly developing ideas and expanding their understanding of the world through their experiences, our program focuses on developing social, critical, thinking, and pre-academic skills. Our children grow and learn in a print and literacy rich environment, which has been thoughtfully designed to ignite their passion for reading, writing, and learning. Our individualized approach to literacy allows children to further develop their language, literacy, and writing skills with an experience designed especially for them.

We work on developing phonemic awareness critical to reading and writing: Teachers help children develop phonemic awareness by reading out loud; discussing about the spelling, structure, components, and sounds of words; demonstrating how to write words from the pronunciation; and leading games and activities that incorporate letter and language play. Every day children have various opportunities to practice early reading skills by reading, talking, singing, rhyming, and playing guessing games. Children start learning to read simple books around the middle of the preschool program year.

Prekindergarten Program (4-5 years old)

Our 4-5 years old children continue to grow and learn in a print and literacy rich environment which has been thoughtfully designed to ignite their passion for reading, writing, and learning. Through the careful art of active listening, note-taking, and documentation, teachers help children identify their passions and learn more about them. Teachers co-construct learning with children by providing them with the skills and tools necessary to explore their individual passions. This approach to learning cultivates independence and self-esteem.

Literacy assumes many forms in our 4/5s’program. Children read independently, listen to stories read out loud, participate in author studies, act out stories, create new endings for stories, and write their own stories. During story time, there is a special emphasis placed on communication, collaboration, and perspective taking, as well as building vocabulary, making predictions, sequencing events and drawing inferences. Our library areas are stocked with high quality books that reflect children’s interests and reading comprehension levels. They are invitingly designed to encourage children to select books and read independently or together with a friend. Throughout their years of attendance at Golden Bay Preschool, our children have been developing phonemic awareness critical to reading and writing. They have various opportunities throughout the day to practice using this developing awareness to sound out and write words. Children use their own inventive spelling to write signs to describe their artwork and creations. Children should be able to read any age appropriate books given to them.