Jump to: Infants | Toddlers | Preschool

Infant roomWelcome to Infants!

We are delighted to be a part of your child’s development!  Research shows that by age 3, children learn more than the rest of their life combined.  The infant program provides for successful separations, forming new attachments, exploring, and developing independence.  The teachers offer the tenderness, warmth and patience so essential at this age.  An emphasis on the importance of a peaceful environment, along with the necessary nurturing and caring, are characteristics of this program.

6 weeks – 18 months: Oh how sweet and cuddly they are!  Babies vary in abilities at these tender early years.  This is even more of a reason to make sure your child is in a program that can adapt to your child’s and families individual needs.   At Little Stars, we want you to feel comfortable and open to talk with us about any needs or concerns you have.  We truly love children and treat all as if they were our own….because that’s what we would want for our own children

Resource: Babies development week by week\

toddler roomWelcome to Toddlers

We are delighted to be a part of your child’s education!  Research shows that by age 3, children learn more than the rest of their life combined.  In many instances, this is the first experience the child has of being a member of his/her own “society.” This child is encouraged to be a functioning member of this society, thus leading them to a feeling of pride and dignity.  The toddler program provides for successful separations, forming new attachments, exploring, and developing independence.  The teachers offer the tenderness, warmth and patience so essential at this age.  An emphasis on the importance of a peaceful environment, along with the necessary nurturing and caring, are characteristics of this program.

18 –36 Months Age Group:  Every toddler is an active learner. With his newfound ability to walk around, they’re in a whole new relationship with the world and can explore new territory like an old world adventurer. Through falls, bumps, as well as his triumphs and discoveries, they’re learning about how the world works and also about how their own emerging self can help it work even better. Toddlers need lots of concrete learning materials, things to pick up, roll, punch, stack, squeeze, bounce, pound, push, pull and in other ways, interact with.  While much of their behavior may seem haphazard to you, there’s actually a lot of intelligence going on in even the simplest of acts. When your toddler picks up an object, he’s forming new associations to it and creating his first ideas about how the object relates to previous things he’s picked up. These new discoveries become part of his inquiring mind and fuel their drive toward mastery and accomplishment. (Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.)

Toddler Classroom Schedule

Routines are a part of the learning experience to encourage children with opportunities for independence socialization and self-assurance.  Consistent predictable days contribute to toddlers becoming confident, eager, lifelong learners.

7:15 – 8:30

  • All day care arrival and free play

8:30-9:15

  • Morning Program Arrival / Free-Play In Learning Centers

9:15-9:30

  • Circle Time (Music)
  • Good Morning Greeting
  • Finger Play/Song
  • Flannel Board

9:30-10:00

  • Activity Centers-Math/Science and Art (Children touch, feel, experiment and learn in small groups-can choose from two tables. Child directed projects.)

10:00-10:30

  • Wash Hands/Snack

10:30 – 11:00

  • Recess/Free Play (Weather Permitting)

11:00 – 11:30

  • Music and Movement-large motor

11:30 – 11:40 

  • Good-bye Circle
  • Finger Play Song
  • Story

11:45

  • Parent Pick-Up

(We recommend entering the building at 11:40 when picking up children.  Otherwise people are entering at different times and distracting the children’s goodbye time.  If you would like to watch goodbye, please come in quietly.)

After Care Schedule

11:45 –5:30

  • Please bring cold lunch.
  • Children may bring stuffed animal for quiet time.
  • Crib sheets and favorite blanket work well to cover quiet time mat.

*Morning and afternoon snacks are provided by Little Stars.

(It is a State Law that children in all day programs must have 45 minutes of quiet time.)

room-1 room-2Welcome to Preschool

My name is Faye Wilson and I am the Owner of Little Stars.  I have been teaching preschool for several years am certified through the state of Maine to teach grades preschool-8.  I also have a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Southern Maine and an Associates Degree in Child Development.  I am a member of Maine Roads to Quality (Early Education Career Development Center) and am currently at a professional level of 7 (highest being 8).   It is my goal to produce a warm and nurturing environment where children can learn from each other.  Preschool is a time of great discovery where important coping and interaction skills are formed.  Below, I have listed some of the areas that we will be working on with your child.

3yr Child: Three year olds are full of wonder!  They spend a lot of time watching, observing, and imitating.  Exploration of their world and perfecting motor skills are key factors at this age level. Children are using self expression through art and free play.  Math and science activities are set up in such a way as to incorporate both exploration and teacher facilitated concepts.  Teachers constantly use questions and language to further children’s thought process and turn play into learning.  Questions asked include, “How does it feel, look, smell, sound, etc… Using the five senses is a great way to engage children in learning and extend on concepts.

4yr Child: Imagination and independence begin to sore!  Children participate in storytelling which is a strong literacy component in our program.   Children are able to create their own story and have students act it out at the end of the day.  Handwriting without tears and Reading A-Z are also amazing literacy activities the children take part in daily.  Academics and activities can be more focused while still maintaining the freedom of self-expression and exploration.  Letter puppets, group poems, storytelling, sight word games, and phonic songs are all incorporated into circle time in such a fun way students don’t even realize their learning!  At Little Stars, we do not believe in forced learning or rote activities.  We want children engaged and above all having fun.  These first years of education will set the stage for the future.  To love learning now, means to pursue a lifelong love of learning!

Multi-Age: The aftercare program is a multi-age classroom where 3yr. and 4yr. olds combine.  The age range of children in the same environment fosters cooperation and mutual help among the children.  The opportunities for freedom of choice in learning centers, movement and communication help develop inner discipline. Multi-age settings allow younger students to experience the daily stimulation of older role models, who in turn blossom in the responsibilities of leadership.   Children can grasp a different concept from the same project due to their individual developmental stage.

Preschool Classroom Schedule

7:15 – 8:30   

  • All day care arrival and free play

8:30- 9:30      

  • Morning Preschool Arrival / Reading A-Z (Individual Reading Program)
  • Child Directed Learning Centers
  • (Children touch, feel, experiment and learn in small groups-can choose from three tables.  Child directed projects.)

9:30-10:00         

  • Clean-Up Circle Time
  • Morning Greeting-Hello Everybody How Are you
  • Helper Board
  • Calendar- (Month, Day, and Weekday)
  • Weather Graph
  • Puppet (Letter of the Week)-Monday and Tues words
  • Letter Card Song (Zap It!)/Poem

10:00-10:15  

  • Snack

10:15-10:30    

  • Gross Motor Activity / Story

10:30-11:00    

  • Recess/Free Play (weather)

11:00-11:40    

  • Free Play/ Handwriting Without Tears

11:40-11:50 

  • Goodbye Circle
    • Name Rhythm/ Instruments
    • Curriculum Song or Flannel
    • Recap on Daily Activities/ Question of the Day
    • Story
    • Goodbye Song
  • (Individual Books until pick-up)

11:50-12:00  

  • Morning Preschool Parent Pick-up

(We recommend entering the building at 11:50a.m. when picking up children.  Otherwise people are entering at different times and distracting the children’s goodbye time.  If you would like to watch goodbye, please come in quietly.)

After Care Schedule

12:00 –5:30

  • Please bring cold lunch.
  • Children may bring stuffed animal and quiet activities for quiet time.
  • Crib sheets work well to cover quiet time mat.
  • (It is a State Law that children in all day programs must have 45 minutes of quiet time.)