Friends’ Preschool emphasizes learning through play. Children spend the majority of their time at school investigating and learning about the world through many types of purposeful play: building with blocks, dressing up, painting and other artistic endeavors, experimenting with different materials, and exploring the natural world. In all these areas, emphasis is on the process rather than the product. By emphasizing the rich experiences which children garner through play, they are able to develop socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively. The activities children engage in while at Friends’ Preschool lay the foundation for their future work in reading, math, science social interactions, music and more.

To support children’s play, teachers create indoor and outdoor classrooms filled with open ended materials that invite a variety of possibilities for use and exploration. Students are generally busy with the activities that are of intrinsic interest to them and then come together for at least one group time per class. Group time often includes music, movement, and storytelling activities. It also includes discussion, the introduction of materials, and an opportunity for the children to help plan the day’s activities.

Teachers observe children closely. Periodically a teacher will watch a child or group of children and write down everything that is said or done. By observing closely, teachers come to understand a child and can therefore know how and when (and when not!) to intervene. Through observation, teachers generate ideas about materials which might expand the children’s play. For example, if children are pretending to be pirates, teachers might discuss with children what pirates do, what they use, and how they live. They might then gather materials to build a pirate ship, put out paints and paper for making pirate flags, and place books about pirates in the reading corner.

The younger children, who attend the morning classes, are in transition from parallel play to interactive play. They may begin the year playing silently next to each other at the water table and by the end of the year may be dressed up as firefighters actively putting out a “fire” together. As the children get older and enter the afternoon class, they tend to be interacting more fully in their play. They are ready for more field trips, additional pre-reading experiences (such as composing a story as a class) and longer group times. In addition more materials are introduced; for example, batteries and bulbs, or siphons. The afternoon children also participate more in activities with the elementary students, such as attending elementary performances, and having buddies from an older classroom. Even with these additions, play remains the emphasis.

Weather permitting, outdoor play is an essential part of the young child’s experience at Friends’ School. Children climb, run, ride tricycles, play games, work in the garden, delve into the sandbox, paint at the easel, do woodworking, and much more in our Preschool playground.

Celebrations are an integral part of the Friends’ School experience. They bring people together and honor the cyclical nature of life. For the Preschool children, celebrations and special events usually happen within the classroom rather than as school-wide events. We want to be sure that the children feel safe and secure while at school, and are not overwhelmed. Therefore, Preschool celebrations are developmentally appropriate and most often related to what is happening in class.

By the time children leave the Preschool they are ready to enter Kindergarten where more academic learning takes place. They are confident, and inquisitive, interested in the world around them, and in learning.