The Bridge Program at Connections EIAS is an inclusive academic program for children ages 3-5. We target preschool skills such as prewriting, number sense, fine and gross motor development, early literacy, social skills, and problem solving.
Program Details
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In Bridge, we focus on a curriculum that was developed to meet the Pennsylvania Department of Education Preschool State Standards. Bridge lays a foundation for our students and their first years of education through play and exposure to academics.
Lessons are differentiated to meet the needs of our students. Monthly themes include seasons, holidays, 'healthy me,' weather, bugs, and dinosaurs. We focus on social skills and interactions between teachers and students, as well as between students and their peers.
Children participate in weekly Show and Tell while working on asking and answering questions on topic.
We value the home and school connection between our classroom and our families. We invite parents/guardians to come to our classroom and read to us each month. Our parents appreciate the opportunity to come into our classroom and share their favorite stories with our class!
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Children in Bridge also have access to a state of the art Sensory Gym for gross motor play, opportunities for socialization and sensory regulation!
Curriculum
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Several researched based curriculums are used during your child's day in our classroom. Preschool and Pre-K children participate in the KinderMusik program weekly. The KinderMusik program engages preschoolers’ natural love of music and activates their imaginations. A wide range of learning opportunities can boost language skills, confidence, independence, social emotional skills, and self-control.
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We teach the foundations of writing with the Handwriting Without Tears Program. The program starts with using blocks to learn about lines which allow children to learn how the various parts of letters are put together before moving on to actual practice on boards, handwriting worksheets and other materials. It also has a sing along program designed for students of all learning styles. It works on more than just writing, but also on letter recognition. This is an essential component to not only speech and language but also to reading. Children are introduced to the program with instructions that are designed in language that children can understand.
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Our Preschool class also participates in Baby Doll Circle Time. Research shows that children develop best within the context of caring relationships. Baby Doll Circle Time provides the opportunity for young children to experience being the nurturer by interacting with their baby dolls in the same ways that we as caring adults interact with them.
Our Schedule
Our daily schedule follows a predictable routine while using picture cards to visually show the children what is coming next. Once an activity is completed, it is flipped over to give the visual cue that we have finished that part of our day. We utilize transition warnings before moving from on activity to another. This helps all of the children understand that we are preparing for a change and eases the anxiety of completing one activity and moving on to another.
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Here is our daily schedule:
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Table Top Toys
Morning Meeting (Weather, calendar, story, songs, wiggle and movement breaks)
KinderMusik or Handwriting Without Tears
Small Group instruction
Sensory Room Time
Snack
Free Play
Baby Doll Circle Time
Show and Tell
Closing Circle Time
Dismissal