Overview of Active Program Areas

Materials Used: Large wooden blocks, cardboard "brick" blocks, plastic/wooden people, vehicles, road signs, and animals

Skills Used: Construction, balance, cooperative play, patterning, problem solving, sense of shape, size, weight and space, classification of objects, understanding cause and effect, imagination, dramatic play, large and small motor skills.

Materials Used: Books, audiotapes, tape player and earphones.

Skills Used: Increase Imagination and awareness, learn about print as a means of communication, develop a love for books and reading, explore other worlds, increase vocabulary and language skills, predict events, problem solve, understand sequence.

Materials Used: Puzzles, lacing cards, beads, dominos, magnet boards with letters, pattern blocks, gears, tinker toys and more...

Skills Used: Fine motor skills, construction, invention, patterning (pre-reading and math), sorting and classification (pre-math skill), eye-hand coordination, visual discrimination (sorting according to attributes of size, color, and shape), self-discipline (working puzzle through to completion).

Materials Used: Dough rollers, silverware, plates, shape cutters, alphabet/number cutters, craft sticks, small plastic animals, containers for filling and molding, assorted cutters, pokers and pressers, FINGERS!!!

Skills Used: Fine motor skills, imagination, symbolic representation (dough becomes a snake, ball, pizza, etc...), language development (talking about their creations and the process used to make them), sensory awareness (the texture of dough), creativity.

Materials Used: Sand, water, water with soap, rice, beans, packing peanuts, oatmeal, snow and ice, nuts, pinecones, birdseed, cotton, tools to dig with (shovels, spoons, and scoops), sifters, funnels, tubes, treasures (for burying and finding).

Skills used: Sensory exploration, exploration of social roles, imagination, understanding, volume (pouring from one container to another), fine motor control, eye-hand coordination, gross motor control, sharing and cooperation.

Materials Used: markers, crayons, pencils, colored pencils, chalk, dry erase markers and name tags, stencils, stamps and stamp pads, paper (various size and shapes), envelopes, paper “books”, scissors, tape, glue, and more…

Skills Used: Pre-reading skills (associating symbols with real things and sounds, language development (describing their work to others), fine motor skills (developing the small muscles in fingers and hands used in writing, creativity.

Materials Used: Large variety of materials used for exploration of themselves and the world around them, seasonal items- leaves, shells, flowers, pinecones, snow, etc..., magnifying glass, magnets.

Skills Used: Awareness, exploration and discovery, observation, problem solving, curiosity.

Materials Used: Paints (watercolor, tempura, finger paint), brushes (various sizes), sponges, marbles, straws, cookie cutters, stamps and stamp pads, paper (various sizes and types, collage materials, glue, glitter, scissors, contact paper, tape and lots, lots more!

Skills Used: Awareness, exploration and discovery, self-expression and discovery, sense of color and design, language development (talking about their creations and process used), fine motor skills creativity, imagination, self-esteem.

Materials Used: Legos, trains/train tracks, unifix cubes, spools, plastic/cardboard, cones, cotton balls, small wooden blocks.

Skills Used: Construction, balance, cooperative play, sense of shape, size, weight, and space, understand cause and effect, imagination, dramatic play, large and small motor skills, creativity fine motor skills, invention, creativity, patterning (pre-reading and math skill), eye-hand coordination, visual discrimination (sorting according to attributes of size, color and shape).

© Phillip Laks and Deerfield Cooperative Preschool 2006