Multiple Locations
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><font face="Calibri">Naperville Park District preschool programs are guided by the philosophy of learning through play. Play nourishes every aspect of a child’s development. It forms the foundation of intellectual, social, physical and emotional skills necessary for success in school and in life. Play paves the way for learning.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><font face="Calibri">Our curriculum is anchored in literacy and focuses heavily on cooperative learning, social-emotional well-being, problem-solving, vocabulary, Heggerty Phonemic Awareness, math and science. The curriculum consists of 5 thematic units: Family, Friends, Wind and Water, Shadows and Reflections and Things That Grow and maintains a scoped and sequenced progression of both literacy and math.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><font face="Calibri">Through active, hands-on, minds-on learning experiences, children develop critical thinking skills, learn how to effectively communicate with one another, learn how to navigate a classroom (group) and develop independence skills.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><font face="Calibri">The child’s imagination is stimulated through finger play, storytelling and dress up. When children engage in dramatic play, they learn how to cope with feelings, bring the large confusing world into a small manageable size and become socially adept as they learn to cooperate with each other.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><font face="Calibri">A carefully planned program allows the preschooler to freely explore their environment, themselves and others.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><font face="Calibri">Our Toadstool and Pollywogs Preschool is located at our Interpretive Center at Seager Park and at our Knoch Knolls Nature Center. Toadstool and Pollywogs Preschool takes advantage of the vast acres of land with nearby walking trails, open fields, and an abundance of wildlife. Between the natural elements and our outdoor nature classroom, children have endless opportunities to explore and investigate nature. When inside the classroom, rooms are affixed with designated areas for dramatic play, math, science, art, literacy, block building and sensory exploration that encourage hands-on exploration. (sc)</font></p><div><br></div>
