4 Year Old Program

The 4-year-old program is rooted in a play-based learning approach that honours children’s natural curiosity and creativity. Through imaginative play, building, and collaborative games, children explore ideas, ask questions, and make sense of the world around them. Play-based learning supports the development of important skills such as problem-solving, communication, and cooperation, while nurturing confidence and independence. By making learning meaningful and enjoyable, this approach fosters a lifelong love of learning and provides a strong foundation for future academic success.

The ratio for teachers to children is one teacher per 6.7 children at Dunbar Memorial Preschool which is much lower than the government licensing requirements of 1 teacher to 10 children.  The classes have a maximum class size of 20 children with 3 teachers.

The program focuses on purposely designed activities that promote the social, emotional, cognitive, language, fine and gross motor development of the children.  Children are encouraged to take part in all the different types of activities throughout the week.  There is a greater focus on Kindergarten readiness including cognitive concepts such as the alphabet (upper and lower case), number recognition and counting, geometric shapes, days of the week, the monthly calendar and printing their name.  Readiness skills are developed through games, songs and activities.  Scissor cutting and pencil holding skills are developed through various play-based and art activities. Science is explored through group science activities where children are encouraged to predict what they think might happen and then explore why the experiment outcomes occurred. 

Language skills are developed through dramatic play, social interaction with other children, singing of songs, being introduced to new experiences with new vocabulary, show and tell, and through listening to and taking part in conversations in the classroom.  Social and emotional skills are further developed through learning to solve conflict with other children through problem solving and communication, further exploration in the concept of feelings and emotions, and being encouraged to express their feelings and emotions to the teachers and their classmates.  Gross motor skills are developed through the outdoor time at the playground as well as the indoor gross motor play time activities such as soccer, hockey, gymnastics, basketball, riding tricycles and obstacle courses.

The 4-year-old program has a schedule that includes free play time, circle time, gross motor play, snack time and outdoor play time.