While at MBA, children are offered recreational, creative, academic, social and cultural activities. These children spend most of their daytime hours with us, and we take seriously the responsibility to make these hours the best they can be. The success of this effort has been evident in how well our children have fared when they enter public school.

Children are placed in age-defined classes. There are three separate classes - Two's, Three's, and Four/Five's. Each teacher develops a lesson plan, based on a curriculum outline, with focus on basic skills to include:

• Manipulative or fine motor skills;
• Gross motor skills;
• Language development;
• Socialization; and
• Music and dramatic play.

Manipulative or fine motor activities. Coloring, using scissors, creating crafts, building and construction (blocks), creating with play dough, working puzzles, and lacing activities are practiced on a daily basis.

Gross motor skills. Running, climbing, playing with balls, general creative outside play, exercising, and a variety of games that encourage the use of the body and limbs are a part of Bethune's curriculum.

Language development. A strong emphasis is placed on emergent literacy and language development. This is reinforced with field trips to the public library and visits to the Center by the city librarian for story time.

Socialization. Social skills are developed through learning to share, playing together, problem solving, and cooperating and assuming class responsibilities. Participation in field trips, resource and community visitors, and safety programs act as building blocks to good citizenship.

Music and dramatic play. Opportunities in the areas of dramatic and creative play, housekeeping, pretend, transportation activities, story time, dress up, pictures, alphabets, differentiating between shapes and sizes, color identification, counting, self-expression, identifying seasons, days of the week, months, and holidays help to develop the child's basic knowledge, encourage conversation and enhance personality development.

Creative movement and spatial concepts are addressed using music and dance. Child directed free play is a favorite time for the children when they can select their own activities.