Little kiddos

Our smallest learners continue to amaze us as they develop and grow so quickly. Daily they improve their language skills and more through the hands on activities at HO4K. This younger age learns through exploring and experimenting with the different objects that are all around them. This is always a fun and often messy learning process!

What is more fun than art? The children are developing pre-writing skills as they use small motor skills to hold onto paint brushes, crayons, glue sticks, etc. Some of our early learners are experimenting with different colors and ways to paint. The student on the left is working with ovals in all colors. As well as enhancing language skills describing and identifying colors and shapes, she is creating an art collage.

Modeling for children is very important. Our older students love to use blocks, so it is only natural that our younger ones start to copy them. The younger children are beginning to creatively play with blocks. Several are in the introductory "Play Stage", while others are beginning to enter the "Building Stage" with blocks. Above, the student is building his own tower with blocks. He is able to replicate the building of the tower after an older student models how. His towers continue to grow in height and so does his understanding of how blocks work. This too is a great small motor skill, as students need to have great hand eye coordination and control while building with such small blocks and/or pegs.

To learn more about the stages go BLOCK PLAY go HERE!

Physical movement is just as important for younger children as it is in older ones. Students who are developing hand eye coordination need to have plenty of practice with different manipulatives and situations. Above, the students are learning how to take turns as the play catch with Mr Timmy. They listen to the verbal cues and then either roll, catch or throw the ball. What good listeners they are and what a great way to practice our language skills as we follow simple commands.

Young children spend the majority of their time learning through tactile experiences. At HO4K we know how important it is to provide many learning opportunities to explore with a variety of surfaces and materials to touch and manipulate. This helps them to develop their basic fine motor skills and reinforces their sense of touch. Above the children are using sticky tape to put "on" and pull "off" the table. They are listening to the commands and following through with actions. They also loved using the tape to create and play with.