Play and Learn Preschool in Tarzana, CA & Surrounding Areas
What Do Kids Learn in Preschool?
Preschool is a pivotal time for children. It’s the stage of life where they learn the fundamental skills that will carry them through the rest of their life. A good preschool will help your child grow and develop in a myriad of ways, from improving their social skills to setting them up for academic success. The team at Woodcrest Preschool is dedicated to bringing children the gold standard in instruction and care. Our Tarzana, CA campus welcomes kids from many surrounding communities, including Encino, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, Canoga Park, West Hills, Reseda, Sherman Oaks, and Agoura. Discover what your child will learn during their time in preschool.
Academic Fundamentals
Today’s preschools implement the basic building blocks of a successful academic career. Children will learn the fundamentals of core subject areas, including science, math, social studies, reading, and writing. At Woodcrest Preschool, we use STEAM learning curriculum to ensure all children start laying the foundation for academic success. This program focuses on the following:
- Science: Asking questions, investigating, and experimenting.
- Technology: Using simple tools, such as crayons, rules, computers, and other devices.
- Engineering: Identifying problems, problem-solving, and troubleshooting.
- Arts: Flexing creative muscles, drawing, and illustrating concepts.
- Math: Recognizing patterns and shapes and cultivating organizational skills.
Emotional Learning
Understanding and responding to feelings is a challenge for all ages, but especially for developing children. Our preschool teachers work with kids to help them identify their emotions and manage them properly. Children tend to leave their preschool years with a better understanding of others’ emotions and higher overall self-esteem.
Social Development
Socializing is an often-overlooked part of early childhood education. While academics and physical skills are certainly important, soft skills such as social intelligence are just as important. Preschoolers learn to get along with others, respect their peers and elders, and build language skills. Throughout the day, children have opportunities to explore the following:
- Empathy
- Cooperation and teamwork
- Self-control
- Sharing and taking turns
- Understanding others’ points of view
- Conflict resolution
Cognitive Skills and Problem-Solving
Whether you work in a high-rise office building or stay home to take care of kids, you use problem solving nearly every day. Because this cognitive skill is so crucial, it’s essential to foster it early on in life. The teachers at Woodcrest Preschool use a range of activities to help children identify problems and work toward solutions—oftentimes, they play and learn simultaneously! Other ways we cultivate cognitive skills include:
- Offering interesting materials to peruse
- Asking questions that open up new lines of inquiry
- Encouraging complex play and thought
- Setting up board games and puzzles
- Promoting conflict resolution during play
Listening and Memory
If your child has a hard time listening and comprehending instructions, a preschool curriculum can go a long way to developing those skills. We use an array of activities, including storytelling and class discussions, to promote active listening. Beyond that, we emphasize memory games to ensure children can receive instructions and relay them later on. Although a lesson in listening and memory skills may not sound like the best use of time, it’s a great way to set children up for success in academic and workplace settings.
Language and Communication
Language and expressing your thoughts through speaking and writing are essential, no matter your stage of life. We promote good communication through games, songs, and play, all while teaching the fundamentals of reading and writing. Our teachers combine fine motor skills with language instruction to help children learn to form letters and other patterns (zigzags, waves, shapes, etc.). Starting kids on communication skills early helps them express themselves both at school and at home.
Physical Education
Physical development is also a significant part of a well-rounded preschool education. At Woodcrest Preschool, we work on both gross motor skills (strength, hand-eye coordination) and fine motor skills (holding a pencil, writing, using scissors). While this type of learning is often taken for granted, it’s a crucial aspect of any good preschool curriculum.
Thinking Creatively
The opportunity to be creative can be an eye-opener for preschoolers. At Woodcrest Preschool, our students have the chance to explore their own creative expression and make things from scratch. We use activities such as arts and crafts, singing, playing instruments, storytelling, and much more to help kids flex their creative muscles. Not only does expressing oneself creatively improve self-esteem, but it can also boost cognitive skills.
A Sense of Independence
Before enrolling in preschool, many children have never been without their parents for more than a few hours at a time. But as they approach preschool age, they begin to show signs of greater independence. A solid preschool curriculum embraces a sense of freedom while ensuring children are still supervised at all times. Promoting independence also teaches children self-case, accountability, decision-making, and responsibility.
Exploring the World Through Play
The best part of Woodcrest Preschool’s curriculum? All these skills are taught through play! Playing to learn has become the best practice in early childhood education, thanks to years of research and child development studies. Learning through play effectively teaches the basics of communication, socializing, emotional intelligence, and yes, academic skills. In addition to these benefits, exploring the world through play has the following advantages:
- A boost in confidence
- Improved hand-eye coordination
- Increased sensory understanding
- Better engagement with the subject matter
- A chance for creative expression while supervised by a qualified adult
- Instills a sense of curiosity
- Associating learning with fun
Enroll at Woodcrest Preschool Today
Enrolling your child in preschool is an excellent way to give them a head start before kindergarten. Not only will they learn the basics of math, science, and language, but they’ll also get the chance to work on their social skills and emotional understanding. Preschool is about creating a well-rounded experience for children through play—not strait-laced classroom instruction! If you’d like to learn more about our programs at Woodcrest Preschool, feel free to reach out to our team. We’re glad to discuss our curriculum, walk through the enrollment process, or set up a tour of our campus.
