At United Church Preschool, your child will learn to make friends and to be a friend, to develop independence, to build social-emotional and school readiness skills, to express their creativity, and to share, cooperate, and solve problems, all within a warm and nurturing environment.

 

We are guided by the philosophy of learning through play. For young children, playing is essential for learning and development. Play helps children understand and make sense of their world, interact with others, and express and control their emotions (NAEYC, 2009). At UCP, children are able to experience all forms of play, including object play, pretend play, creative play, and active outdoor play. Our days include time for open-ended play, art, group games and activities, one-on-one time with teachers, reading, singing, and experimenting.

 

Because of our focus on play-based learning, children at UCP are actively engaged in fun and joyful discovery each day!

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Children who attend UCP are well prepared for kindergarten. Research has shown links between play and memory, oral language ability, social-emotional skills, and success in school (NAEYC, 2009). In addition, a recent report from the American Academy of Pediatrics states that play is “fundamentally important for learning 21st century skills, such as problem solving, collaboration, and creativity” (Yogman et al., 2018). 

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