Program Offerings
At Sunnyside, we emphasize your child’s development, rather than specific age, because all children grow and learn at their own pace, and in their own unique way. Learning experiences are designed to address the individual needs and abilities of each child, in each classroom.
Infant Programs
3-24 months
Little Explorers, 3-12 months & Happy Tots, 12-24 months
Our Infant programs are designed for infants from 3 to 24 months of age. Both programs are designed to help develop core cognitive, social, emotional and physical skills. It's more than just childcare - children go through a structured program of play, exploration, circle time and supervised creative play. These programs are designed to create a warm, loving and secure environment for your child.
In the Little Explorers classroom, we provide a peaceful sleeping space, group play experiences and one-on-one care. We acknowledge the importance of forming a nurturing, healthy bond between teachers and infants and encourage bonding through routine daily interactions such as feeding, diaper changing and frequent displays of affection. Emphasis is placed on attention to individual infant needs and schedules.
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Our Happy Tots benefit from the best of both worlds - individual attention is blended with a traditional group schedule. Daily opportunities for art, group play experiences, circle/storytime and peaceful naps, combined with a low teacher-students ratio, help prepare older infants for future learning opportunities. Emphasis is placed on routines, sensory experiences and self-help skills.
Language development is an essential part of our Infant programs. Babies thrive on language experiences and respond by cooing, babbling and making sounds that gradually resemble adult speech. Throughout the first two years, children attach meaning to words and understand (receptive language) a lot more than they can say (expressive language). By both paying attention to children's speech development and exposing infants to rich, complex language, we can help children successfully develop their language skills. Practicing Baby Sign Language in both classrooms helps to reduce frustrations and help our youngest students express themselves.
Early Preschool
Early Adventurers, 2-3.5 years
In our Early Preschool Program, we encourage each child's mind with interactive learning, including the basic concepts of phonics, numbers, shapes, colors, literacy, speech development, math and much more.
Our Early Adventurers experience daily, stimulating activities using a variety of songs, poems, creative play and circle time. In addition, the classroom is arranged to offer fun and educational experiences in Dramatic Play, Blocks/Building, Science, Art, Music, Manipulative materials and Reading and Language activities
This program is specifically designed to build a strong foundation for your child's continuing education. It is your child's first step towards the Preschool program and prepares students accordingly.
In this class, we begin to introduce Spanish language education, including numbers, colors, foods, parts of the body, items in nature, and more. Early Preschool students are also introduced to Zoo Phonics (more information below).
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Teachers focus on your child’s development, rather than chronological age, because all children grow and learn at their own unique pace. Learning experiences are designed to address the individual needs and abilities of each child as they talk about their feelings and navigate social relationships in a larger group.
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At this age, Teachers are happy to encourage and assist children with potty-training in a relaxed, supportive atmosphere.
Preschool Program
Mighty Adventurers, 3-5 years
Our Preschool program features a play-based, child-centered environment. We utilize The Creative Curriculum, a developmentally appropriate, nationally-recognized method to help our Teachers design Lesson Plans with both the whole group and the individual child in mind. Classrooms are arranged to offer children choices and experiences in Dramatic Play, Blocks/Building, Science, Art, Music, Manipulative materials and Reading and Language activities.
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Social/Emotional skills and behavior management is a major part of any preschool curriculum. They learn patience, how to raise their hands & take turns and how to share the teacher's attention. Our preschool students participate in a daily schedule which prepares them for a consistent education routine. In this classroom, children experience increasing independence, while also learning how to relate to others through small and large group activities, which are an essential part of the day.
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In Preschool, children learn how to be students. That's why we incorporate Zoo Phonics, a multi-sensory, researched-based program which aligns with CA State Preschool common core standards, throughout the day.
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Preschool education is an essential step on the path to Kindergarten! Our hands-on activities and carefully planned learning experiences help you and your child discover and incorporate how they learn best.
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Click Below to Find Out More
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Depending upon your child’s age and classroom, typical daily activities may include:
Spanish Language Introduction for Infant and Preschool Programs
Baby Sign Language for our Infant programs
Zoo Phonics for Preschool programs
Hands-on S.T.E.A.M activities (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math)
Open ended art activities (painting, drawing, cutting, gluing, molding materials)
Exploring water and other substances in sensory tables
Dress-up and role play in one of the dramatic play areas
Building blocks and construction
Creative play with dolls, toy animals, etc.
Cooking (cutting, spreading, mixing, health and nutrition)
Music and Movement Activities
Outdoor Play/ Gardening
Storytime
Gardening