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4 Year Old's Activity Program
The 4 year old
program involves two sessions per week for a period of three hours each,
there are three groups and their respective session days and times are
outlined below:
Green
Group:
Monday 9:00am – 12noon
Wednesday 12:30pm – 3:30pm
Blue
Group:
Tuesday 8:30am – 11:30am
Thursday 12:30pm – 3:30pm
Black
Group:
Tuesday 12:30pm – 3:30pm
Friday 12:30pm – 3:30pm
The most important
part of our program is that it is a continuation of our 3’s program
developing socialising skills between each other. Our program is
based on the developmental needs and interests of the children within our
program.
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4’s
PROGRAM
Children turning
4 between July 2012 and January 2013 are eligible to attend our 4’s
Program starting term 1, 2012 i.e. they will not be eligible for the
Education Dept kindy program through the school. Children attend
for two 3 hour sessions per week.
Maximum 20 children in each group. We currently have 3
groups. NOTE: children MUST be toilet trained
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FEES
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Term 1, 2012
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9 Weeks
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$348.50
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Term 2, 2012
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11 Weeks
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$416.50
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Term 3, 2012
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10 Weeks
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$380.00
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Term 4, 2012
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9 Weeks
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$343.50
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** Please note that these fees are
subject to change.
All parents must be members of the
Whitfords Family Centre at a cost of $5.00 per year.
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PROGRAMMING
FOR FOUR YEAR OLDS
During the third and fourth year of life young children begin to master an
incredible range of skills and concepts. They begin to grow from an
egocentric infant to a co-operative pre-schooler.
It is believed
that the four year old program is not a place for forced learning, but
should be a place which permits and encourages genuine curiosity and
discovery. The program should be concerned with all aspects of development
fostering full sensitivity to each child’s interests and level of
development. It is natural for a child to make what they can of themselves
and to contribute in their own unique way to the family and community in
which they are being raised.
It is important
to create an environment in which the child’s natural resources are
activated and so provide the best possible chance for their unique
potential to develop. Children need to feel that their skills are being
developed and extended and that they are learning.
Children are
constantly forming ideas about the world they live in and the way it works.
These ideas contribute to basic concepts formed during the early years and
often determines the quality of much later learning. It is through play
experiences that many important concepts are learned.
Play is an
essential part of the early years and is encouraged as desirable and respectable. The provision
of play should be decided based on the needs of the children. It is through
play that children learn about themselves and develop self-esteem.
Programming for
four year olds needs to be flexible and creative providing ample opportunities
for growth in all areas of child development. It is extremely important to
remember that all children are individuals and that they will develop at
their own rate given the right materials and support.
Our centre has
long term goals based on our philosophy. From these goals, we make up
specific aims to achieve for each weekly program. Some broad developmental
headings which are considered when programming are:
1.
Social:
Relating to staff and peers
2.
Emotional:
Expressing feelings and reactions to situations
3.
Gross Motor:
Large muscle control
4.
Fine
Motor: Small muscle
control
5.
Cognitive:
Thought process
6.
Language:
Communication skills
7.
Self
Help:
Independency skills
Taking each
child’s needs into consideration we aim to develop your child’s
skills in all the above areas by planning activities to fit these needs.
For this years
program we will be concentrating on the following skills which are
developmentally appropriate for this age group:
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Gross Motor:
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Running, climbing,
jumping, bouncing, throwing, balancing, and pedaling
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Fine Motor:
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Hand eye coordination,
threading, peg games, puzzles
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Language Skills:
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Listening, asking
questions, singing, understanding words, increasing their vocals
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Cognitive Skills
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Senses, cause and effect,
trial and error, short instructions, turn taking, concentration span,
starting to share and understanding other cultures
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Social & Emotional
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Positive
interactions, self concepts, positive self esteem, coping with
frustration, pretend play
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Music:
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Singing, listening
to music, playing musical instruments, dancing and movement
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Art & Craft:
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Painting all types,
gluing, drawing, and play dough
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Goals that
you will see being used on a weekly program will include:
1.
extending running, climbing, balance;
2.
encouraging and extending hand eye co-ordination
manipulative skills;
3.
stimulating and extending language development;
4.
extending concentration;
5.
promoting singing, using finger plays and musical
instruments; and
6.
becoming aware of other ethnic, cultural and social
backgrounds.
Special
Activities that you will see happening in the program are:
1.
Term 2 to 4 - Library Lending. This is where your child
gets to take a book home from our library each week. A cloth bag will be
required.
2.
Term 2 – Show and Tell Bag. Children can bring
four items from home to show the other children. This is great for language
and self esteem development.
3.
Terms 3 & 4 – Take Home Bag. Children will
take home a special friend (eg: soft toy) until the next session. They can
then discuss their adventures with the other children during mat session.
This will continue to develop their language and self esteem and promotes
responsibility of caring.
Parent’s ideas
and feedback about our program are always welcome. You can advise us
verbally at any time or through our six monthly surveys. Parent Information
nights are held regularly for your benefit. Topics vary depending on the
feedback from the surveys or by your request.
Associated
Links
4 Year Old’s Welcome
4
Year Old’s Parent Information Booklet 2012 [PDF]
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