Pre-K

5 mornings a week

Regular co-op Monday/Wednesday/Friday 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

&

Tuesday/Thursday drop off 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

For children who are age 4 and older by September 1, (TK-age)

Children are immersed in a program designed to foster exploration and learning with plenty of time to engage in a variety of activities, including crafts, sand play, sensory play, science experiments, dramatic play, cooking, gardening, and group story time.

Pre-K families are enrolled in the 3-day core class, and parents work in the classroom once a week on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday mornings to supervise play, socialization, and problem-solving. And then parents attend a parent-ed meeting twice a month from 12 to 1 pm while their children attend a supervised lunch bunch.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, children participate in small-group activities led by Pre-K Teacher Lisa, where they engage in playful, hands-on math and literacy activities designed to prepare them for kindergarten and beyond.

For more about our school’s play-based curriculum, click here. For more on why play-based learning works, click here.

the co-op commitment

• Work in the classroom once a week

• Participate in parent-ed discussion groups twice a month on your workday

• Fulfill at least 14 hours on a school job

• Provide snacks for the class and parents per the rotating schedule

• Help with maintaining the building and grounds by attending one 2-hour deep clean & beautification shift

• Attend the parent orientation and 1-3 parenting webinars noted on the calendar

• Participate in fundraising activities

Transitional Kindergarten or Pre-K?

The choice is yours.

For more on the differences between TK & Pre-K, our sister cooperative preschool, Cupertino Co-op Nursery School, has posted a very informative piece on this very subject here.

For comparison and context, SPNS offers Pre-K children …

• wide open spaces designed to foster social play

• a mixed-age community of children where Pre-K children can practice leadership

• open-ended environments where Pre-K children can explore, focus, and pursue their learning interests

• a wide assortment of equipment for 4 and 5-year-olds that challenges the whole body, while allowing for mastery

• a daily schedule that allows for flexible transitions so that children can adjust at their own pace

• introductory and developmentally appropriate science experiences that enable every 4 and 5-year-old to ask their questions and explore at their leisure

• a curated Pre-K curriculum that includes teacher-led small group learning specifically to practice pre-math & science concepts, activities to strengthen hand-eye coordination, gain print & phonics awareness, and work cooperatively in a small group

• led by qualified and experienced teachers trained in early childhood development and education

• a teacher-child ratio of 1:10 and an adult-child ratio of 1:5

Teacher and early childhood advocate Tom Hobson outlines what preschool-age children need to know before heading off to kindergarten, click here.

Finally, this link provides a Google search page with more articles that can help you consider factors when choosing the right program for your child and family.