Spokane Child Development Center | Spokane Day Care in Spokane Valley

Challengers 2 ½ – 4 years and fully potty-trained

The Challenger Room is our young preschool classroom.  As children exit the toddler phase of their lives and begin to develop as preschoolers, our Challenger classroom is prepared to guide them through this journey. Because each child develops at a slightly different rate the teachers in this classroom are prepared to provide group activities but still foster each child individually. The classroom keeps preschool learning activities fun, exciting, and developmentally appropriate and hands on through play. Our Challenger classroom is equipped with developmentally appropriate materials and equipment to enable the children to learn and grow.

The classroom is set up with interest centers, which include the following areas: art, dramatic play, blocks, fine-motor, library, listening center, sensory, writing, math, and science. Placement of equipment and materials is structured to encourage maximum independence for each child. Each center is designed to stimulate a child’s curiosity and contains activities to help the child practice new skills through play. The centers are set up to encourage language and social development.

The Challenger teachers have lesson- planning time weekly and plan a theme-based curriculum that meets the needs, interests, and abilities of the group as well as each individual child.

Language skills are primarily strengthened through play in the interest centers as children talk with each other and with their teachers.  A few short periods are set aside each day for group times. These experiences focus on listening and comprehension skills, and other pre reading skills. Teachers introduce children to new library books at story times, which are scheduled throughout the day. Children are also encouraged to “write” or dictate both individual stories and group created stories relating to the theme. Children are also given the opportunity to journal on a regular basis.

To enhance children’s physical development, large motor muscle play is available both morning and afternoon on our large, fenced playground.  Preschoolers also have many opportunities for music and movement in the classroom environment.
A nutritious breakfast, morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack are provided.  Meals are served in a family style where the children and the staff sit together. Meal time also serves as a time for children to practice social and language skills through conversations with their peers and teachers.   Children are also learning to be independent as they are encouraged to serve themselves and to clean up after themselves too.