Our Preschool and Junior Kindergarten program is designed to comprehensively nurture children’s growth across seven crucial areas of development.

Our Junior Kindergarten program builds upon our preschool curriculum, preparing young learners for the transition to elementary education.

Both the Preschool and Junior Kindergarten programs include student screenings through the LinkB5 program, identifying strengths and areas for growth. No matter your child’s age or developmental stage, we offer the appropriate program to meet their needs. We collaborate closely with families to create the optimal learning environment, ensuring each child’s success. As your child progresses, we are committed to providing the support necessary for their growth and development.

Social Development
  • Loves participating in songs and fingerplay activities with others
  • Welcomes known individuals
  • Participates in basic group activities
  • Assists with tidying up tasks
  • Practices taking turns
  • Listens to stories attentively for ten minutes
  • Engages in interactive play
  • Interacts with peers with little to no conflict
  • Engages with peers appropriately most of the time
  • Cooperates and interacts appropriately with adults most of the time
  • Requests to use others’ belongings with few reminders
Cognitive Development
  • Draws facial features
  • Creates random markings on paper
  • Produces controlled scribbles on paper
  • Draws basic shapes
  • Combines circles and squares with crossed lines
  • Draws suns, animals, trees, and flowers
  • Can sort objects by two different colors
  • Understands three prepositions (such as from, about, and with)
  • Remembers familiar objects
  • Categorizes objects
  • Can match identical pictures and identify 2 colors
  • Can select the different object from a group of 2 similar and 1 different
  • Counts up to 3 objects
  • Knows their own gender
Emotional Development
  • Able to calm down from anger or temper tantrums and cooperate
  • Separates from parent willingly
  • Verbalizes the emotions they are experiencing
  • Uses words to express displeasure instead of physical aggression
  • Maintains a suitable and stable temperament most of the time
  • Starting to distinguish between reality and fantasy
  • Identifies emotions in others
Physical Development: Large/Gross Motor Skills
  • Jumps over hurdles while running
  • Jumps down from a 6″ to 8″ high object
  • Catches a 6-to-8-inch ball with arms
  • Balances on one foot for 4-5 seconds
  • Hops on one foot at least twice
  • Walks up and down stairs unassisted, alternating feet
  • Throws a ball overhand and underhand
Physical Development: Small/Fine Motor Skills
  • Creates or replicates vertical and horizontal lines
  • Draws or replicates a full circle
  • Constructs with blocks and other building toys
  • Threads 1″ beads
  • Cuts paper into two parts with scissors
  • Draws or replicates two intersecting lines
  • Assembles 9-piece (or larger) puzzles
Communication and Language Development
  • Provides own first and last name and age
  • Chooses and names a preferred object or activity when given options
  • Starts asking intentional questions
  • Consistently uses complete sentences
  • Describes a simple experience
  • Sings a basic song
  • Uses “who”, “what”, “where”, etc., to ask various questions
  • Narrates a story using pictures
Creativity Development
  • Assumes roles or accepts assigned roles in imaginative play
  • Adopts traits and actions typical of the role being played
  • Incorporates specific props while engaging in pretend play
  • Is able to imagine and use non-existent objects during play
  • Employs language to develop and maintain storylines
  • Integrates complex themes, concepts, and details

Enroll Your Child Today

Give your child the gift of a supportive daycare experience. Backyard Bears Day School offers comprehensive programs for every child’s needs. Contact us today to learn more.