Frog Street Press™

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Frog Street Pre-K is an engaging program for teachers and children that integrates instruction across developmental domains and early learning disciplines. The cornerstones of the program are:

  • an extensive integration of theme, disciplines, and domains
  • special attention to social-emotional development
  • many levels and support of differentiated instruction
  • equity of English and Spanish materials and instruction
  • a joyful approach to learning

Integration of Instruction

Each day begins with a Greeting Circle, where the focus is building a sense of community. Children sing, perform a calming strategy (de-stressor), connect with classmates through fun activities, and commit to helping keep the classroom safe. This “community building” opening to the day is followed by a Morning Message where children are actively involved in the practice of early literacy skills. Greeting Circle is followed by a Moving and Learning activity where children sing, dance, or play games that relate to both program themes and lesson skills.

Two suggested Read-Aloud activities each day foster children’s oral language and a sense of story. Children are actively involved in thoughtful discussions and immersed in robust vocabulary. They represent both fiction and nonfiction, varied genres (narrative, prose, predictable), art styles and photography and include traditional and new pieces of literature. Beyond the theme-related books, there are additional libraries for literacy, math, science and social skills that also integrate instruction with the program themes and skill continuums. The program includes 104 literature titles (including both English and Spanish) and two rhyme and poem-based flip-charts. In addition, the program includes a wealth of integrated listening stories, participation stories, and 34 story folders with props which enable children to re-enact the stories.

Literacy and math lessons are offered daily. Lessons are short, theme-related and filled with hands-on applications and meaningful context. They follow a continuum that ensures all children build foundation skills before they are expected to master more complex and challenging skills and concepts. Lessons spiral so that each time children return to a lesson concept or skill, they are able to expand their understanding.

Differentiated Instruction

Daily lessons include activities that address English Language Learner adaptations, each of the eight intelligences, scaffolding, and Special Needs adaptations at point of use in the lesson. The program contains two teacher resource books that break skills into smaller units on a continuum: Building Math Skills and Continuum for Physical Development. There is also an Adaptations for Young Learners guide that specifically tailors lessons to support younger learners, special needs students, and any child who temporarily or regularly needs additional support. Frog Street Pre-K is dedicated to the concept that all children can learn when instruction stimulates curiosity, nurtures the child’s interest, is delivered with joy, and is tailored to challenge each child to the edge of his or her competency.

Joyful Instruction

Childhood is a period of incubation. There is much to learn. The journey should be joyful. Frog Street Pre-K is filled with songs, music, hands-on materials and activities, chants, games, make-believe, and stimulation for the children’s imagination. The journey is joyful from Greeting Circle to Closing Circle.

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