| The Neighborhood Club Preschool offers an extensive program including art, music, physical movement, drama, science, language, poetry, stories and games. We endeavor to widen the child's world by working with each individual at the appropriate level of development. By making every discovery an enjoyable experience, we hope to expand the child's emotional and intellectual development. Alert observation of the child's general physical health, hearing, vision, muscular coordination and emotional development makes it possible to spot potential problems early. We work with parents to take early corrective action when necessary. The staff makes preschool a happy place to be by creating a general sense of warmth and acceptance. Classes are held in the Neighborhood Club's well-equipped preschool room. A day at preschool provides a variety of experiences which help children to understand themselves and the world around them. Play is a great avenue for learning, and in our classroom the day is centered around activities which allow children to see, touch, taste, hear, explore and discover. While play constitutes the major block of the day, there are other parts of the curriculum which facilitate learning as well. Children are greeted at the door. They come in and put their coats and school bags in their lockers. We begin our day with circle time. Here we discuss the theme for the week and talk about the daily activities. Circle time activities include: - making simple graphs - doing experiments - playing "What's Missing?" - talking about the weather and the calendar Free-choice time comes next. Children work within the learning centers the teacher offers. During free-choice time, children practice cognitive and motor skills as they use learning materials. They also practice planning time management, decision making and problem solving. They decide where they will work and play, who they will work with and how long they will play in each area. They learn how to make friends, communicate, negotiate,
follow rules and be responsible for their behavior. Well-planned free-choice time gives children a strong foundation for life. 
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