The Henson Fund

Arrival and Morning Work

Morning work allows children to ease into the academic day. The students practice their skills independently. Morning work is self-directed and usually involves a letter of the week. Learning how to grip and use a writing utensil are primary goals at the beginning of the year. Morning work activities help students practice math and literacy skills. Morning work is changed daily and increases in difficulty as the students grow and learn.

Breakfast

The children eat breakfast together in the classroom. Eating breakfast is associated with positive outcomes at school. Eating in a community setting encouraged the children to have conversations and practice their developing social skills.

Morning Meeting / Circle Time

Circle time provides our little learners with structure and opportunities to improve language skills, social development, and cognitive skills. Young children love routines. Each morning at circle, we sing together, take attendance, count on our calendar. Class rules are established at circle time in the beginning of the school year and are reinforced every day. The plan for the day, the letter of the week, class jobs, and any changes to the routine are discussed at morning circle.

Small Groups (Literacy)

The foundation for reading is built in PreK. Alphabetic knowledge (including phonemic awareness) and knowledge of print concepts are impactful pre-reading skills. Each day, students meet in small groups to work on these skills. Matching letters and sounds, phonics games, and letter magnets are all used to teach students letters and sounds.

Outside Play

The children spend 30 minutes outside for recess. This gives them an opportunity to explore the natural world, socialize with friends, and play creatively.

Music

We use music to reinforce our academic concepts. We practice letter sounds, learn sign language, count, and rhyme all through songs.

Small Groups (Math)

Small groups help us to differentiate learning, support, and closely observe students. During our math groups, we work on mathematical thinking. Some of these concepts are subitizing (recognizing how many, without counting), one to one correspondence, reading and writing numbers, recognizing patterns, identifying shapes.

Open Centers

Students can choose from any available center. Centers are created by teachers and reflect skills, standards, and themes we are covering. Children can express ownership of their learning during this open ended time. Centers include home living, blocks, sensory, computers and art. Open center time allows students to expand on what they are learning and to explore their own ideas.

Storytime

Each day, we read books that reflect our theme. Children love listening to stories. This special time promotes literacy and language development. Storytime helps early learners develop their imaginations and helps increase attention spans.

Lunch

85% of our students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

PreK students are able to develop self-help skills during lunchtime at school. They learn to open containers and wrappers with their newly acquired fine motor skills. They are able to socialize with peers while learning to feed themselves. They clean up after themselves and learn to be responsible for their space.

Rest Time

The children have a rest time every afternoon. They are not required to sleep but they rest quietly and most fall asleep listening to classical music. This time gives the students a chance to decompress, relax, and process what they learned throughout the day.

Large Group / Closing Circle

We gather one last time as a class to reflect on our day and celebrate our accomplishments. We sing a goodbye song and wish the children well. The day has come full circle.