Three-year-olds are full of wonder and spend a lot of time watching, observing, and imitating. Their days are filled with busy exploration of their world. They are beginning to learn how to get along with others and are beginning to learn how to control their feelings. Three-year-olds often enjoy being with other children. Their interactions have matured away from exclusive parallel play into a more associative play where play occurs in more loosely structured activities.
The teachers encourage our threes to become more independent in their daily routines. We are working on vocabulary development, physical coordination, higher-level thinking, and ongoing social skills.
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A Typical Day in our Three-Year-Old Classes
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Free Choice Centers- The children are guided in selecting what they want to play with. The teachers observe and interact to extend their play and learning. The teachers read, play, and sing with the children individually and in small groups.
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A.M. Snack- Morning snack is set up as a center activity. Children may choose to have a snack at any point during the allotted time.
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Morning Circle Time- The children participate in a teacher-led group time where they complete daily activities such as calendar, the weather, and classroom jobs. During this time, the children are exposed to math concepts including patterns in objects and numbers, graphing, and making charts. They read books related to the lesson plans theme and also participate in songs, dancing, and playing games. This is also a time for the teacher to introduce new concepts and ideas to the class.
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Morning Circle Time- The children participate in a teacher-led group time where they complete daily activities such as calendar, the weather, and classroom jobs. They read books related to the lesson plans theme and also participate in songs, dancing, and playing games.
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A.M. Snack- Children wash their hands and eat a light morning snack together.
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Outdoor Play- Teachers supervise and interact with the children as they explore the playground environment and equipment. Some examples of outdoor activities include sandbox play, climbing and sliding on the age-appropriate play structure, pretending on the dramatic play stage, kicking and tossing balls, blowing bubbles, building with blocks, etc.
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Teacher Directed Activities/Free Choice Centers- Children are separated into two or three small groups where they work with the teacher on a structured activity. The remaining children are participating in free choice centers. Throughout the morning, the children are encouraged to rotate through the teacher-directed and free choice activities.
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Story Time- The teacher will read books to the children or they are also welcome to choose books from the library to read on their own.
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Lunch- Children wash their hands and eat as a whole group. The teachers sit with the children and encourage conversation about the day’s events, the meal itself, or other things of interest to the children. In a three-year-old classroom, the main focus of the meal is sitting together and being social at mealtime.
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Closing Circle- Prior to departure for the half-day children, the teacher will gather the children in a closing circle to talk with them about the events and activities of their day.
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The Full Day Schedule continues as follows:
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Rest Time- The children are provided a rest/quiet time beginning at 1:30. Sleepers are given the opportunity to sleep until at least 3:00 or until they wake on their own. Non-sleepers are provided a quiet time where they rest their bodies for at least a half-hour and then are allowed to participate in quiet activities.
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PM Snack- Children wash their hands and eat a light afternoon snack together.
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Free Choice Centers- The children are guided in selecting what they want to play with. The teachers observe and interact to extend their play and learning. The teachers read, play, and sing with the children individually and in small groups.
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Outdoor Play- Teachers supervise and interact with the children as they explore the playground environment and equipment. Some examples of outdoor activities include sandbox play, climbing and sliding on the age-appropriate play structure, rolling balls, blowing bubbles, building with blocks, etc.
