The 2021-2022 Durham PreK Application is now open! Click here to access the application information and materials.
Learning to read not only allows children to gain skills in literacy, but they also gain access to learning about the world around them- from their favorite animals and outer space to the complex social justice issues and everything in between. Reading is a crucial skill that we use daily to gain knowledge, understand information,…
Durham PreK began as an idea to serve Durham’s young children, and grew into a collaborative program with private child care centers, Durham Public Schools, Durham Head Start and NC Pre-K. Early childhood leaders in Durham served on a task force with the mission to determine the necessary components of a universal pre-K program, and…
The classroom library center is another place in the classroom that allows children to build foundational skills for future academic learning and to explore their interests. Part of developing literacy skills is learning about books themselves, looking at the pictures, and creating their own words for the story. Once the children begin to learn how…
Music and movement activities can teach children many different kinds of skills. They can learn about patterns by hitting the drum or shaking an egg shaker to a certain beat, which also includes practicing coordination for big and small movements. Music and movement can also teach strategies for handling their emotions and solving problems. Teachers…
Outdoor Play is very important to the growth and development of our children. It offers opportunities for our children to be active and develop social skills. For example, learning to take turns on the swings, making up rules to a game and following them as a group, teamwork, and building friendships. It also offers opportunities…
Children typically do one of two things at the art station: open-ended or teacher-guided art. Both encourage imagination, coordination, and expression through art. Open-Ended Art Open-ended art allows children to choose their materials and create something entirely from their imagination. Allowing children to choose how to express themselves encourages them to explore their own interests,…
Plays by self Child plays alone based on own interests. This is encouraged at all ages, but the amount of time spent playing alone should decrease as children get older. Passive Onlooker Child is interested in other children’s play, but does not join in with the others Often includes observation and asking questions Plays alongside…
Sensory tables allow children to explore new ideas and use their senses to make observations. They can feel the sand and water at the table, they can see how water and sand move to fill the container they’re in, and they can hear what it sounds like when water falls into different sized containers. These tables also help…
Playing with dress up clothes and props enhances imagination, verbal skills, vocabulary, social skills, and more. Children are creating scenes in their minds and describing their ideas to their teacher and peers. This gives them the opportunity to practice verbal expression while their peers listen and practice comprehension. This sets the foundation for literacy in…
When children play with manipulatives, like blocks and puzzles, or use the sensory table, they are developing their logic and reasoning skills, hand-eye coordination, patterns, and more. When a teacher is present for those activities, they can help students learn about balance and gravity when their tower tilts too far and falls over. This will…
The 2021-2022 Durham PreK Application is now open! Click here to access the application information and materials.