Preschool Class Descriptions

Every day at Echo will bring opportunity for children to interact, explore, learn, and develop in a variety of areas. We will build friendships, cooperation,  and independence. We will provide resources to families and help make connections for long term friendships. At the same time, each day (AM and PM) will bring a fun focus for learning. 

Please see our Preschool Class Schedule page for more information on when each class meets.

Preschool Adventure-This class will offer a collection of revolving dramatic play areas. Children will explore imaginative play and self expression. They will step into real life scenarios and those that take us into the imaginary world. Props, costumes and teachers will help to introduce each new theme.

Math Mania-Through small groups and simple materials, the children will discover how much fun math can be. The class will learn new games while learning about many common math concepts. The class will cover graphing, matching, patterns, relationships and values. It will use shapes, numbers, colors and various objects for visual reference. Children will come away with newly gained skills and games to try at home.

Young Authors-Books have so much to offer and this class centers around a love for reading. Every two weeks, with a new theme, the children will be introduced to a new collection of books based on that theme. We will explore authors, illustrators and words in print. Children will quickly discover that books can be humorous, adventurous or informational. In the same respect, illustrations can be photographs, watercolors, drawings or collage work. 

Simple Science-Step into the laboratory as we experiment with common household items. You'll be amazed at how much fun science can be. Each week a story will be read that relates to the topic of the day. In class, we'll join together for group experiments as well as ones that you can try on your own. When class is over, you'll take home a copy of our experiments to try them at home with your family.

Wednesday Workout ~It's all about large and small motor development today.  We'll take time out of our day to promote motor development. Gymnastic mats, Zumba routines and scooters will provide practice for balance, strength and endurance.  Snap together toys, clay/putty and grasping games will build the muscles in the hand to enhance fine motor development. 

Kindergarten Kids-This class is specifically geared for children preparing for kindergarten. Our focus will be to expose the students to a variety of activities that will support the skills necessary to be a successful reader and writer. Through board games, journals, card games, phonics instruction and written activities, participants will gain a love of learning.  Attention will also be given to writing the alphabet, numbers, words and sentences. There will also be time for socializing through free choice time.

Amazing Artists-It's a class that has been created for the budding artist. not only will we use common materials such as paint, oil pastels and colored pencils, this class will explore how to work with sculpey, mosaic pieces, wood, beads, clay, fabric paint and recycled materials. Some projects will be completed in a day while some will be continued over a few weeks. We have a morning class for preschool age and an afternoon class for school-age children.

Creative Chefs-Join us for a fun and educational class revolving around healthy eating and simple preparation of yummy snacks. Your child will come away with knowledge of the food pyramid, food groups, healthy eating and many ideas for creating kid friendly snacks. Each class will begin with a related story and follow with a cooking project. All snacks will be prepared in the classroom. Children will not have access to the kitchen. They will however, take home their snack and recipes to try at home with you. A mid day class will be offered for preschoolers and an afternoon class for school age children.

Under Construction-This class is guaranteed to be all things building! Woven into our typical preschool day, the children will engage in activities that take the word "construction" to  a whole new level. Recyclables and materials such as clay and wood will be the basis for our art, a variety of toys to promote building and stories, games and activities to go along with the weekly theme will fill our morning. A healthy snack and drink will be provided.

Animal Adventures- Together, we'll explore the vast animal world though a variety of activities planned for each class. Habitats and environments will take us all over the world to discover all of the animal species in existence. Take a walk on the wild side, our own back yards and even our homes where animals are all around us.

Early Preschool-a great introduction to preschool for your child. Parent or caregiver attends with the child. Our morning together will include many activities. We'll begin with free choice time where children can explore their surroundings. Art, dramatic play, sensory activities, puzzles, building and motor activities are some of the choices. Later in the morning, we gather on the rug for songs, finger plays, movement and stories. A healthy snack and drink will round out the morning.