4-Year Old Curriculum Highlights

Daily Activities – To facilitate the curriculum goals listed below, daily activities are selected and may include calendar, news, weather, stories, songs, snack, recess, cooking, group activities, free exploration/center time, mystery box, projects, social skills activities/learning, communication, problem solving and skill building.

Social/Emotional Development – Four year old children are blossoming socially. They love being part of a group and thrive on being noticed by the adults in their lives. They are also becoming increasingly independent and do not need help completing tasks. This class focuses on helping children fine-tune self-help skills, take care of their belongings, continue to separate from parents/caregivers, manage and express feelings, build friendships and follow rules and routines. Children also learn about themselves, and their family, friends, home and school environment, the community and holidays.

The goal for your child’s social/emotional development is to achieve a sense of self, take responsibility for self and others while behaving in a pro-social way. 

Language Development – The language of 4 year olds progresses rapidly. They love to talk, use big words, and listen to books. This class offers children experiences with various materials to promote literacy from classroom labels and charts to a wide range of books and magazines. Oral language skills are encouraged by participating in circle time, sharing ideas or stories, mystery box, show and tell and taking turns as the class VIP (Very Important Person). Stories, songs, finger-plays, picture stories, following 1, 2, and 3 step directions, rhyming, introduction to upper and lower case letters, and Scholastic Reader encourage additional language development.

The goal for your child’s language development is to be able to listen, speak, and begin to make sense of written language. 

Physical Development – Physical development refers to both fine and gross motor abilities. Four year olds have increasing muscle control which allows them to complete fine and gross motor tasks with better strength and precision. This class develops fine motor skills through such activities as writing, drawing,

coloring, cutting, tracing, using glue sticks, lacing, play-dough manipulation, puzzles, and Lego building. Gross motor skills are expanded through creative movement, balancing, running, hopping, jumping, climbing and riding tricycles.

The goal for your child’s physical development is to be able to achieve greater fine and gross motor control of their bodies. 

Cognitive Development – Cognitive development refers to how children think, how their minds work and how they use the information that they’ve learned. Four year olds are curious creatures and are enchanted by cause and effect. This class includes both math and science exploration to encourage children’s curiosity through counting, number recognition, identifying shapes, measuring, graphing, patterning, sequencing, color variations, planting, seasons, recycling, nature and sensory table investigations.

The goal for your child’s cognitive development is to learn to problem solve, think logically and to use imagination while representing and exploring abstract ideas. 

Enrichment Activities – The 4 year olds participate in music and creative movement sessions led by specialists and a variety of enrichment programs that may include visits from the Nashua Fire Department, a Dental Hygienist, a Postal Carrier, a musical performance from the Nashua Senior Center, the Seacoast Science Center Tide Pool Program, the Court Street Theater Production Center, and the Nashua Public Library Story Time and Puppet Show. The children visit an apple orchard and participate in our Field Day and our entertaining Holiday Concert.

Based on: The Creative Curriculum for Preschool,

Trister-Dodge, D., Colker, L. & Heroman, C., Fourth Edition.