BY ALICIADORSET
Clarkston News Staff Writer
The Clarkston Cooperative Preschool (CCP), offering a play-based program featuring a variety of themes, has morning and afternoon openings for fall classes for 3- and 4-year old children in the Clarkston area.
Founded in 1968, CCP has provided a positive learning experience for hundreds of area children.
The preschool presents developmentally appropriate activities for children with an emphasis on socialization skills. The nonacademic curriculum follows a thematic approach to learning.
The themes are coordinated between the two age level programs so children may experience a wide variety of opportunities. Students take with them what they are developmentally ready to retain.
CCP furnishes equipment, materials, experiences, situations and guidance to attain the following objectives:
? Develop high self-esteem in students.
? Develop security and a feeling of success.
? Develop the ability to participate in a group setting, follow directions and develop self control.
? Give the child an opportunity to appreciate and explore many types of music, literature, and art through a variety of media.
? Provide each child with a positive first school experience that will be with them the rest of their lives.
The child’s preschool day consists of:
? Circle Time: children learn to listen attentively, take turns speaking, and to tell others about their personal experiences.
This sharing time gives the children opportunities to develop their language skills and self confidence.
? Art Time: children are given a variety of media to express their creativity, to develop their fine motor skills, and to learn to follow directions.
The creation of an art project allows the child to experience a feeling of accomplishment and pride. The children also listen to music, stories, poems, and learn finger plays and songs.
? Free Play: gives children the chance to share and cooperate with each other, to identify and respect the feelings of others, to solve problems, to explore learning materials, and to express their own needs and feelings to other children.
? Additional Learning Activities: children are introduced to the alphabet and letter sounds. Materials are provided to aid in pre-math skills such as sorting, patterning, beginning counting, and number recognition.
Other materials are hands-on experiences to help the children learn to explore the world, and appreciate nature. Several Awareness Adventures (field trips) to area attractions are also taken to reinforce classroom activities.
Each class has qualified teacher and teacher’s assistant as well as two working parents every day.
Parents share in the learning situation with their child at CCP. Some benefits to this include:
? The special enjoyment you give your child the day you assist in the classroom.
? Firsthand knowledge of what your child is learning and doing at school.
? The ability to bridge a gap between school and home be being present in the classroom.
? The opportunity to socialize with your child’s peers.
? An opportunity to know other parents.
? A desire to continue to be active in your child’s education after the preschool experience.
Sign up today to become a part of CCP. There is a 15-children maximum for the 3-year-old program and 20 children for the 4-year-old group.
The Clarkston Cooperative Preschool is located at 6600 Waldon Rd., in the north end of the Clarkston United Methodist Church. For more information or to enroll, call (248) 625-2368.