Ages 3 – 5
Between the ages of 3-5 years old, there is a dramatic increase in a child’s development. The child you have watched grow thus far is now blossoming into a child full of wonder. Children at this stage begin to think about the world around them and also begin to ask questions about what they see, hear and experience. Our Alexandria preschool strives to give our parents the best quality care.
3 – 5 Year Olds Daily Schedule
6:30 – 8:00 Centers/ Free Play
8:00 – 8:45 Wash hands, Breakfast
8:45 – 9:00 Bathroom, Wash Hands,
9:00 – 10:00 Circle Time, Story Time / Songs, Small Group Activities, Art, Science, Mathematics, Language Arts
10:00 – 10:45 Indoor / Outdoor Play / Music and Movement
10:45 – 11:00 Children Clean-Up for Lunch / Bathroom Break / Helpers set-up for lunch
11:00 – 11:30 Lunch
11:30 – 12:00 Clean Up / Bathroom / Hand Washing
12:00 – 2:30 Nap Time / Rest Time on cots
2:30 – 3:00 Bathroom / Put cots away
3:00 – 4:00 Story Time / Centers / Free Play
4:00 – 5:00 Large Group Activities, Large Motor, Indoor / Outdoor Play
5:00 – 6:00 Individual / Small Group Play, Table Top Activities / Puzzles / Clean-Up, Pick-Up
S² Philosophy
The S-squared philosophy is our belief that every child needs seed deposits of security, stability and stimulation in order to grow cognitively, emotionally and physically. This cultivation begins in our Caterpillars Infant Program and continues throughout our Toddler and Preschool programs.
Alexandria Preschool
In the same way that we experience the world through our five senses, the S² philosophy encompasses five sensory experiences for 3-5 year olds:
1. environmental stimulation – providing a wide variety of activities that promote pretend play, encourage letter recognition, master math concepts, experience scientific concepts, and encourage problem solving skills
2. language stimulation – providing two or more opportunities for story time daily, reading the same book several times to increase vocabulary and teach basic comprehension skills, and promote frequent conversation between peers and adults
3. Physical stimulation – increasing small motor skills through play; teaching writing skills; providing opportunities for drawing, coloring, painting, and cutting; and teaching large motor skills such as throwing, catching and pedaling a tricycle
4. neurological stimulation – combining these experiences to increase the brain’s ability to make connections between the navigating stage, exploring stage, the negotiating stage as well as the thinking and problem solving stage of development
Based on collected data over the years, most of the children who enter the Preschool classroom from our Toddler Twos program
- can count to 10 and (often) beyond;
- can successfully complete a 4-8 pc. isolated puzzle;
- can turn the pages of a book right-side-up, one page at a time;
- can sit during circle time for at least 10 minutes;
- can demonstrate emerging pretend play skills using typical objects to represent something else; and much more!
Goals for Our Three Year-Olds:
By age 3, most of our children will
- name a minimum of 8 colors;
- play alongside their peers and interact by building structures together;
- identify their first name and at least 3 friends’ first names when seen in print;
- cut with scissors proficiently;
- verbally state their first and last name and the first and last names of at least 2 friends;
By age 4, most of our children can
- name, identify and make the initial sound of 10 or more letters of the alphabet;
- write their first name legibly;
- count to 30 or beyond;
- draw, color, paint/create descriptive pictures, then verbally state what they have made;
Also see:
Feel free to schedule an appointment to see our Preschoolers in action.