Play, Learn, and Grow Together!
Preschool News
Preschool and Play!
If you have more than one child, or have friends with small children
you may have noticed that children grow and learn at different
rates. At the beginning of the school year, we take the time to
observe and learn about your child’s skills, and then plan our
classroom activities to meet each child’s needs.
Children are learning during all the different parts of our day.
Preschool is a time for learning thinking skills like the alphabet and
counting. It is also a time for learning important social skills like
sharing, waiting, taking turns, and calming down. Educational
research has shown that one of the best ways to teach both of
these types of skills is through play, and that’s why you will see that
we spend a portion of our day playing at school!
Your 3 year-old may:
 Accept suggestions and follow simple
directions.
 Make choices between two things.
 Enjoy playing alone, but near other
children.
 Enjoy playing with other children
briefly, but is still learning to share.
Your 4 year-old may:
 Take turns and share (most of the
time!)
 Lie sometimes to protect self and
friends, but doesn’t truly understand
the concept of lying
 Express anger with words rather
than actions (most of the time).
 Enjoy pretend play that goes beyond
“playing house” to playing fire
station, school and more.
What did you do in
school today?
Stay informed about
the classroom’s
planned activities so
you can ask your
child questions about
them, for example,
“Did you get to go on
the nature walk
today, or was it too
rainy?”
Lesson plans and
menus are posted for
parents outside the
classroom so you
know what’s going on
during your child’s
day at school.
Fire Safety
It’s important to teach your child what to do if there is a fire in your home. Most people don’t realize how fast a
fire spreads, so planning ahead saves lives. Here are some important safety skills to practice with your child:

Don’t hide from fire, get out of the house fast and stay outside.

Stop, Drop, and Roll if your clothing catches on fire. Stop, drop to the ground while covering your face,
and roll over and over.

Get low and go if there is smoke in the house. Crawl under the smoke.
Tips for Parents
Prevent fires: Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach.
Don’t leave candles burning alone, if you leave the room, blow them out!
Plan ahead:
Have a smoke detector on every level of your home.
Test your smoke detector every month, by pushing the test button.
Make an escape plan with two ways out of every room, if possible.
Practice your plan with your children.
Quick tip:
Remember to call school if your child will be absent for any reason.
October 2012