The Gummibears Class is designed for children ages 3 ½ -5 years old. There is much to
accomplish during these years just before entering Kindergarten and school-aged programs.
Our program seeks to ensure that these accomplishments happen in a developmentally appropriate
way that is best for the children.
The children in this class undergo a truly remarkable metamorphosis as they emerge from
toddlers to preschoolers. The tentative steps toward independence taken in toddlerhood give
way to increasingly autonomous individuals. Great strides are made in their social and emotional
interactions, their cognitive capabilities and their physical development during the preschool years.
A strong foundation has been set, and now the preschoolers can be further challenged with more
sophisticated learning activities and projects designed to develop their pre-reading skills,
mathematical reasoning and scientific thought. As their motor skills become more refined and more
opportunities for writing for a purpose become available, children in this age group begin to
demonstrate growing competence for writing and drawing. Additionally, their capacity to understand
and follow a set of directions allows them to begin to participate in group and circle games.
Their advancing verbal and cognitive skills lead to greater success in peer interactions and
negotiations.
The preschool learning environment demonstrates a natural progression from that of the toddler
environment. The activities and projects are geared toward facilitating their socio-emotional,
cognitive and fine motor growth and reflect a higher level of capabilities. The children in this age
group are active participants in their learning and work with the teachers on determining the topics
of study. Children make choices with regard to which learning center activities to work on and for how
long. Independent study and exploration occur as frequently as group discussions and activities.
The preschool class actively participates in an on-going research and curriculum development program
called Preschool Pathways to Science, or PrePS, under the direction of
Dr. Rochel Gelman. The program
is implemented by Kimberly Brenneman with the assistance of several college students participating in
the project. The children participate in weekly science activities based on their interests. The
sessions are recorded by audio, video and through authentic documentation. The children benefit from
the high quality, individualized science curriculum, and the researchers benefit from having a source of
incredibly rich data.
