Room 4

My students never cease to amaze me with their curiosity, resilience, and eagerness to learn every day.

McKenzie Hay

Special Education Teacher

Room 4 is a 6:1:2 integrated preschool classroom for 3 and 4-year-olds. We have both nursery school students and program students in our classroom. There are 3 staff in Room 4: a teacher and two teacher’s assistants.

All year long we work on fun and exciting ways to increase our reading/writing, math, academic, attending, social, play, and independent life skills. Each student is able to have his or her school experience involve programming that is specific to his or her needs to make the experience in Room 4 the most meaningful to him or her through one-to-one sessions or small group sessions that have goals that target child-specific needs.

Room 4 uses the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum to help increase literacy, pre-writing, and other fine motor skills and the Touch Math curriculum to help increase different math skills.

Recently in Room 4...

Young Gardeners. 4.12.24

Room 4 took advantage of the beautiful weather the other day by heading outside to engage in hands-on learning. They dug into the dirt, cultivating early gardening skills and fostering a connection with nature.

Kids who are exposed to gardening are very likely to develop a greater appreciation for nature, learn valuable life skills such as responsibility and patience, and develop healthier eating habits by gaining an understanding of where food comes from.

Coffee Shop! 3.26.24

Room 4 has started a coffee shop on Fridays! Friday 3/22 was their first day, and business was great. Students learn about mixing, with cold coffee and various creamers and sweeteners. They learn about money, and exchange of money for an item for sale. Social interactions with customers is also a big point of this project.

Puddle Jumping 3.5.24

The heavy rain today has produced a wealth of deep puddles, and in a delightful adventure, Room 4 joyfully steps out to jump in them, turning a rainy day into a fun and memorable experience filled with laughter and splashes.

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Sharing isn't always easy. 2.27.24

The social skill of sharing and playing with the same toys can take lots of time and work to accomplish, and that’s why our teachers and therapists work so hard on social skills.

So when students are working in a group like this one, engaging in Ooblick, sharing toys, and taking turns with friends, unprompted by a teacher, it’s a real big deal.

Early Literacy. 2.8.24

When it’s time to get a book, students A and O quickly begin discussing the features of theirs. The actions of 3- and 4-year-old children, such as showing each other pictures and words in a book, are developmentally aligned with their age group. At this age, children are typically engaging in early literacy behaviors and developing pre-reading skills. Sharing and discussing pictures and words in a book not only demonstrates their growing interest in literacy but also enhances their language development, social interaction, and cognitive abilities. Encouraging this behavior supports a positive foundation for future literacy skills and a love of reading, something McKenzie and her team are passionate about.