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Oakland, CA
Giggles

Review this preschool

neighborhood: Rockridge / Temescal ·  Telephone: (510) 601-6526  · Website: www.giggles-preschool.com

• Summary
• General Info
• School Philosophy
  & Day-in-the-Life
• Curriculum &
  Teaching Approach
• Quality of
  Teaching
• Home/School
  Connection
• Discipline,
  Health & Safety
• Ages, Schedule
  & Tuition
• Application &
  Admissions
• Kindergarten
  Placement&Tips

General Approach to Learning

	Play-based
	Play-based with some structure
	Predominantly teacher-led instruction
	Montessori
	Waldorf
	Co-op
	Reggio-Emilia

source:

Director's Comments

OPERATING PRINCIPLES: * Learning through play - helping to develop confidence,independence, socialization skills and self-esteem. * Incidental learning - creating meaningful lessons from everyday occurrences. * Positive disciipline - teaching self discipline and responsibility. * Understanding temperament - knowing the effects temperament has on action. * Confronting aggression - teaching self-control and problem solving. * Developmental-interactive approach- recognizing social,emotional, cognitive and physical milestones. * Illness prevention - limiting exposure to disease and emphasis on health and hygiene. * Supportive environment - providing a setting which stimulates growth and is developmentally appropriate. * Flexible scheduling - to be responsive to your routine, schedule and commitments. * Customized program - accomodating individual, tempermental and potty learning needs. * Parental and involvement - keeping you informed and involved with your child's development. * Quality, value and affordable - to provide your child with a valuable, quality experience, for an affordable price.

Curriculum and Teaching Approach

	PLAY-BASED	PLAY-BASED WITH SOME STRUCTURE	MOSTLY TEACHER LED	NOT FORMALLY IN CURRICULUM	CONDUCIVE ENVIRONMENT
Language					Yes
Oral language	-		-	-	n/a
Nursery rhymes, poems, songs	-		-	-	n/a
Storybook reading	-		-	-	n/a
Emerging literacy skills	-		-	-	n/a
Cognitive Development					n/a
Math and number sense	-		-	-	Yes
Time & space	-		-	-	Yes
Sci. reasoning/physical world	-		-	-	Yes
Music	-		-	-	Yes
Visual arts	-		-	-	Yes
Physical activity	-		-	-	Yes
Other subjects taught	We teach sign language, Spanish, Polish and Hugarian.				n/a

source:

Director's Comments

Curriculum:

The best learning experiences for children happen when children choose what they want to do. This is called free or self-directed play and is how the children at Giggles spend a good portion of their day.

Through play children explore their world, find out how to get along with others, test their skills and muscles, try out new ideas, and feel competent enough to try different activities. Curiosity. Self-esteem. Language. Problem solving. Mathematics. Cooperation. Endurance. These are just a few of the many kinds of learning experiences involved in play. Your observations of your own children's play will soon confirm how much they are learning.

Giggles curriculum is designed to allow ample time for play while encouraging 'incidental learning' which responds immediately to the interests of the child. A typical day involves the combination of play, 'incidental learning' and the curriculum described below. Participation in every activity is optional; therefore, each child decides how he/she will spend his/her day.

Monthly Theme Projects:

A different theme is highlighted each month involving dramatic play, math, science and art. Projects associated with the theme are scheduled throughout the week. Examples of recent themes include: The Family; All About Me; Reptiles; Outer Space; Animals; The Environment; Transportation; Insects; Pets; Plants; Birds and The Ocean.

Weekly Activities Share Day:

Monday - Monday is Share Day at Giggles. We ask you to limit the toys brought from home to this one day and bring the suggested share item as indicated on the monthly calendar. A special snugly toy brought everyday is an exception to this rule. Toys brought on days other than Monday will be sent home with the parent.

Spanish and Sign Language:

Tuesday - Spanish and sign language are scheduled on Tuesday.

Storytime at the Rockridge Library and Trips to the Park:

Wednesday - The first and third Wednesday of the Month a group of 4 and 5 year olds go to story time at the Rockridge library from 10:30 - 11:00. Different children are taken each week based on listening skills and their ability to walk to and from the library. The second and fourth Wednesdays of the Month the 4 and 5 year olds go to the park (weather permitting)

Nature Walks:

Wednesday - Wednesdays the 2 and 3 year olds go on nature walks and to the Circle park around the corner at 61st Street.

Cooking:

Thursday - Thursday is cooking day. We make everyhing from playdoh to pizza. As with every activity children interested are included on a rotational basis.

Music and Drumming:

Friday - Music and drumming are scheduled on Friday from 10:30 - 11:30. This is a dynamic, exciting way of teaching and learning based on the developmental readiness of the child. The process involves a sequential layering of skills and concepts designed to build success for every child. Understanding beat and rhythm develops through the use of movement activities. The development of singing in-tune comes from hearing the song sung within the child's range, joining in the singing, and by isolating the intervals in songs.

Circle Time:

Every day at approximately 11:00AM and 4:00PM we have Circle Time. It is a time when all the children are brought together to sing a variety of songs, discuss the activities of the day and review important information.

A different topic is reviewed each day: Monday - Share Day
Tuesday - Spanish and Sign Language Wednesday - Safety Rules
Thursday - Fire Drills (Stop, Drop, Roll) Friday - Earthquake Drills

Disaster Drills take place during October and April to ensure staff and children understand the procedures to be followed in case of a disaster.

Outdoor Activities and Physical Education:

Exercise classes, Movement, Outdoor Adventures, Dramatic Play, Nature walks and trips to the park complement the large and diverse outdoor play area. Children are afforded the opportunity to participate in gross motor or fine motor activities while being outdoors in the fresh air on a daily basis, regardless of the weather.