We use music & movement as a tool for large & small muscle development & to develop both fine motor
skills and gross motor skills. The songs we sing and the activities & games we play increase the children’s
body & spatial awareness, quality of movement, & relationships with other children. The overriding goal of the program is to help foster a love for music & movement while practicing other skills that will help them along their road to success, such as learning to wait their turn, math, shapes, rhymes & manners.
Research confirms that musical experiences create & strengthen neural pathways in every area of the brain- language, physical, social, emotional & cognitive growth! Because music & literature share many of the same traits- repetition, patterns, & rhyme- we are creating a base for children to use once they begin reading!
Many of the songs we are dancing & playing instruments to, require the children to practice inhibitory control. This is the ability to stop one’s self & wait. As you know, this skill is important in so many aspects of their lives now, & even more so in preschool & elementary school. Our hope is that this will help with social interactions (i.e.: taking turns, waiting patiently, etc.)
Finger plays, rhymes & dances are incorporated to help children develop memory & recall skills. Creative minds, are supported through movement, exploration & manipulation of different instruments & activities. Physical fitness is camouflaged through fun games, dance, running, the parachute, balls & other P.E. equipment 😊
Each class has developmentally age appropriate activities & curriculum.
Butterflies
UCUMC KDO Butterfly Class is the place to be! In this class the teachers work with the children to get them ready for preschool, they keep them engaged and excited about learning. The Butterfly Class will open up opportunities to explore elements like name recognition (recognizing their name on their cups and cubbies), following directions, shapes, colors, numbers, letters, counting, problem solving, work on recognizing opposites and many other exciting activities. We use our fine and gross motor skills and have many activities and centers that exercise those motor skills. Don't worry! It's not ALL work, we PLAY!
Centers are created throughout the class room to encourage creative and imaginative play. They are organized by monthly themes, interests and skills. Every other week we have chapel in the sanctuary where the children sing songs and learn about the bible.
Your child's brain is a sponge that has an enormous amount of room to soak in what is being taught to them. It is during this wonderful age that your child learns the most. They are continually making us laugh and we learn something from them everyday! Your child will be safe and loved here with us!
KDO Classroom & Jingle Gym Curriculum
Jingle Gym
Call Jamie Opielski (210) 658-5761 ext.2 or email kdo@ucumckdo.com for more information.
Universal City United Methodist Church
Kids' Day Out
Where kids are loved!
Just like every child is different, each of our classrooms have a specially designed curriculum catered to your child's age group. The following will help provide you with a little bit more information about what your child will learn while they are with us.
Caterpillars
Welcome to the Caterpillar Class, here your toddler will be able to explore their surroundings, develop in gross and fine motor skills. Your child is special to us and we know that each child learns and grows at different rates than other children the same age. We want to cater to their needs and help them flourish while in our care. Some skills we encourage in the Caterpillar Class are patience (learning to wait their turn), social and emotional development, cognitive development, language development, fine motor skills (we like to do a lot of crafts using their hands and feet), music and movement (getting those little bodies moving and grooving!)
Ladybugs
We love our little ladybugs, they are such amazing little people and eager learners. The main emphasis for this age group are the following:
Building Positive relationships between teacher and child, creating a positive emotional environment, encourage appropriate expression of emotions(both negative and positive).
Helping children make friends supporting children as they practice social skills and build friendships. We facilitate positive peer interaction, we assists children in resolving conflicts. Our curriculum includes shapes and colors, free art to improve fine motor skills, creative play, one on one correspondence, and matching and sorting. We thoughtfully plan the environment and activities your child enjoys each day, we assure that they are DOING and LEARNING as well as LAUGHING and LOVING in all of their "play".
Busy Bees
In the Busy Bee class your child will learn by exploring various learning centers which contain a variety of lessons ranging from social and emotional development to imaginative play. We teach a variety of lessons including shapes, patterns, counting, and numbers. Many activities require the use of fine motor skills ranging from picking items up to whispering. Fine motor skills coordinate precise, small movements involving the hands, wrists, feet, toes, lips, and tongue. Gross motor skills involve the large muscles of the body that enable functions such as walking, sitting upright, as well as lifting, kicking, and throwing a ball. This includes dancing, running, and playing outdoors on the playground. Children are encouraged to use imaginative play in every center. The Busy Bee class attends Chapel every other Tuesday and learn stories from the bible and sings Christian based songs.