Welcome to the 3-Year Olds page
 

Welcome to the Panda Class

Attending the Panda class will be a growing experience for your child. Your three-year-old will be exposed to a large variety of experiences that will stimulate developmentally appropriate growth in most areas of their being. The panda room is a hands-on learning environment that offers child directed and teacher directed activities. Your child will have freedom to make activity choices within a teacher directed schedule. 

You may call the Panda Class Room 107 at 925-449-5683 ext. 126.

In order to help your child and the other children in the classroom have a fun and pleasant day, we have developed a few guidelines for parents and children to follow. These guidelines are listed below. 

• Please have your child arrive to school during the morning hours. Drop-offs by 9:00 a.m. benefit the class and the child the most. 
• Please call if your child will be coming later or will be absent that day. 
• Your child may bring a toy to hug at naptime. All other toys should stay home unless it has been requested for a special occasion. 
• A sheet and blanket should be sent each week for your child’s comfort during rest time. These items also need to be taken home at the end of each week for laundering. Small pillows are optional. 
• Please keep 2 full sets of extra clothes at the school in your child’s box stored in the bathroom-underpants, pants, shirt, socks and extra shoes. 
• Guns, weapons, wrestling, play fighting, bathroom words, etc. are not considered appropriate behavior at school. 
• Please do not leave large bags or backpacks at school. Their hooks are needed to hang up their jackets. 
• Please provide a self-sufficient, nutritionally balanced lunch each day. (see enclosed “Panda Parents Lunch Time Helps”) 
• Please provide a sun hat on sunny days. 
• Please sunscreen your child in the morning and we will apply sunscreen in the afternoon. 

Sent out monthly is a Parent letter and weekly lesson plan for that month which includes the monthly topic, activities, concepts, projects and any special events. 

We look forward to working with you to make your child’s transition to the Panda class an easy one!

Skills being developed throughout the year: 

LARGE MOTOR

• Walk, run forwards and backwards 
• Kick a ball and catch it with both hands 
• Walk up stairs, walk down stairs with alternate feet 
• Roll a ball and throw a ball with direction 
• Jump in place on two feet 2 or 3 times 
• Stand and hop on one foot 
• Jump over objects and land on two feet 
• Pedal a tricycle 
• Walk and turn around across a balanced beam 
• Follow a straight and curved line, hold objects while following a line 
• Climb playground equipment 
• Log roll across the room – stomach to back 
• Walk on toes and heels, walk heel to toe 
• Push or pull objects 
• Throws a beanbag into a target 5 feet away 

SMALL MOTOR

• String small beads 
• Do puzzles with 3-5 or 5-7 pieces 
• Hold scissors correctly with a thumbs up hold 
• Cut with scissors on a line or curve, cut different paper textures 
• Trace 4 basic shapes 
• Draw a face with features, draw a stick figure person 
• Copy/trace own name 
• Fold and crease paper 
• Can pour liquid, rice or sand from one container to another 
• Hold a crayon and a pencil with fingers not fist 
• Stack 5-10 small blocks in a tower form 
• Zip, button, and snap 
• Turn doorknobs or unscrew lids 
• Turns caps on or off an object 
• Insert pegs into a board 
• Identify familiar objects by touch 
• Use an eye dropper and tongs 
• Makes balls and snakes with dough/clay 
• Laces following a sequence of holes 
• Paints with a large brush on a large piece of paper or surface 
• Hammers pegs or nails into a soft foam board  

COGNITIVE

• Name shapes: circle, square, triangle, rectangle, heart, star, diamond, sphere, prism, cube, cylinder. 
• Name the primary and secondary colors: red, blue, yellow, green, orange, purple, white, black. 
• Know opposites concepts: over/under, hard/soft, up/down, outside/inside, top/bottom, hot/cold, stop/go, happy/sad, fast/slow 
• Identifies textures: rough, smooth, hard, soft 
• Recognizes written first name 
• Alphabet recognition capital letter A-Z 
• Identify which is the bigger/smaller of two objects 
• Understands full/empty, shorter/taller 
• Sequence objects 1-3, smaller to biggest 
• Identify same and different 
• Count by rote 1-30, count 1-5 objects 
• Recognize written numbers 1-10 
• Knows the function of their five senses: taste, smell, hearing, sight, touch. 
• Recalls three objects that are visually presented 
• Identifies what is missing from a picture 
• Locates the source of a common sound 

LANGUAGE

• Follow two and three step directions 
• Classify objects by color, shape and size 
• Label objects correctly: body parts, clothing, animals, furniture 
• Repeat familiar rhymes 
• Repeat songs 
• Speak in 4-6 word sentences 
• Express feelings using words 
• Initiate conversation 
• Use manner words: please, thank you, your welcome 
• Knows city where they live 
• Understands who, what, where, and why 
• Tells about an action in a picture – like the girl is combing her hair 
• Understands position words: in, over, on, top, in front of, above, out, under, off, bottom, top, in back of, below. 
• Asks and answers simple questions 
• Can produce animal or object sounds 
• Names sounds heard around the home or school 

SELF HELP 

• Eats with a spoon and fork 
• Drinks from a cup 
• Puts on own socks and shoes, dresses self 
• Put things away in appropriate places 
• Can wash and dry face and hands 
• Attends to toileting needs 
• Eats a well balanced meal 
• Takes a nap 1-2 hours 
• Uses good table manners 
• Puts on and take off jacket/coat 
• Able to fold blanket on nap bed 

SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL

• Separates from parents 
• Wait a turn with some assistance 
• Play with others 
• Participate in group activities, sit in a group formation 
• Adjusts to daily routine, handle transition 
• Handles frustration and conflict verbally 
• Can problem solve and make some choices 
• Remains at a task with some help for a period of time 
• Likes to play pretend 
• Has positive feelings toward self 
• Can make a plan and follow through 
• Accepts limits, follows safety rules with reminding 

SAFETY

• Able to identify an emergency and dial 911 if needed 
• Practice the Stop, Drop, and Hold earthquake drill 
• Practice the Stop, Drop, and Roll drill in the event their clothes are on fire 
• Know how to get out of the building in the event of a fire, participate in fire drills 
• Identify what is a stranger 
• Know how to cross the street safely with an adult 
• Know the school’s playground safety rules