Curriculum and Social Activities
OUR CURRICULUM
Bilingual Beginnings Spanish Preschool of Plano, Texas has education encompassing a variety of educational and enrichment disciplines.
Social abilities: The children learn the necessary skills to make new friends, good behavior, meet and greet adults, how to be polite and the significance of sharing and taking turns, how to set a table and table manners among many others. These skills are reinforced with what is already taught at home and ensure that the children have strong foundations for adulthood.
Art: Self expression is encouraged so the children will have a free space in which to plaster their imagination, feelings and at the same time work on fine motor skills, perception, space concepts, and colors. Some crafts will be done but will follow the freedom that the child has to express their own art.
Theater arts: Annually, the children will participate in a Christmas Show. This involves all children, in costume, performing the Christmas story, singing traditional Christmas songs and dances. The children will also participate in an End of Year Recital for their families and friends, demonstrating some of the things they’ve learned during the year. In May, the four and five year our Pre-Kindergarten class will graduate in full commencement regalia and receive their diplomas.
Science: Children are introduced to mammals, reptiles, arachnids, insects, fish, botany, weather, astronomy, personal hygiene, solids, liquids and gas, texture, the five senses, biology, microbes, cooking and anatomy. The depth of these topics is dependent upon the subject readiness of the child.
World Geography: Africa, Argentina, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, and Spain. The children will learn about the location of these countries, prepare and consume the cuisine, wear ethnic clothing, discuss the people, habits, terrain, agriculture, and areas of special interest.
American History: American holidays such as Thanksgiving, Labor Day, President’s Day. They will learn about famous Americans such as Dr. Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and famous women in history. State and federal holidays will be celebrated. They will learn about the fifty states and the U.S. Flag.
Mathematics: Children will learn numbers: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, 20,30,40,50,60,70,80,90,100. They will learn about geometric figures, sorting, sequencing, what zero means, patterns, simple addition and subtraction, counting, shape recognition, measurements, telling of time, similarities and differences, size order, problem solving and logical thinking.
All these skills will be age appropriate and individualized for each child.
Religion: The teachers respectfully say a small prayer during lunch with the children. We celebrate Epiphany, Easter and Christmas. We expose children to how other children around the world celebrate these holidays.
Music: In music, the children will learn a variety of songs and dances. They will learn bodies in motion and rhythm. In addition, they will learn Spanish lyrics and phrases.
Reading skills: Children will learn the basic concepts of reading such as word recognition, word order, poetry and prose, rhyming, vocabulary, letter combinations, the alphabet, spelling, letter order, parts of speech and how to sound out words for reading.
Languages: In addition to the Spanish they learn in music and the classroom, they are introduced to French, Italian, German and Japanese. This will further enhance the exposure of the children to different cultures and languages. They will learn to sign some basic words in American Sign Language.
Health and Safety: There is a formal presentation on Dental Hygiene by a dentist. The children are taught general hygiene procedures such as proper hand washing, sneezing, coughing and potty training. We do regular fire and tornado drills as well as Lock-down drills. The staff is CPR and First Aid Certified. The local Fire Department also pays a visit to our school, thus enhancing their knowledge in fire safety.
OTHER INFORMATION
Playground: The playground is a half acre enclosure with 1 access gate. Age appropriate play equipment is provided. The classes have an assigned age specific recess time with two teachers supervising at all times. In inclement weather, the centers room is available for teacher-directed, supervised play. Closed toe shoes are highly recommended to avoid any foot and/or toe injuries. Please send an extra set of weather appropriate clothing. It’s recommended that children are applied sunscreen at home to avoid sunburns or related health issues with their sensitive skin. Insect repellent is also recommended.
Celebrations: Our school celebrates Life! From the smallest accomplishments like wiping a nose or successful potty training, to the birth of a sibling and of course birthdays. We hope that you will join in on our fun to celebrate our children’s life!
Snacks and lunch: In accordance with state regulations, the children are provided a mid-morning snack which includes a different daily selection of crackers, gold fish, pretzels, dry cereal or animal crackers served with water, which we provide. Prior to eating lunch, children recite a blessing of thanksgiving, led by their teachers. Children bring their own lunch and beverage, eat in the classroom with the teachers modeling proper eating manners and clean up after themselves to further encourage responsibility for self. In the event of a birthday, the parent of the birthday child can send cupcakes that will be served AFTER lunch has been consumed. Bilingual Beginnings Spanish Preschool is not responsible for the nutritional content of the snack served or the lunch provided by the parents.
