Curriculum

In order for children to grow and prosper both socially and intellectually they need the support of a warm, friendly environment where they feel secure and appreciated. Young children construct their knowledge by building on experiences from their surroundings. Children learn best through active, hands-on, discovery type methods through topics that are valued and meaningful to them. We want to foster their natural inclination to grow and learn by drawing from current, innovative early childhood approaches that are based on research and recent trends in our field. 

Each of our classrooms follow the same general curriculum guidelines, however each classrooms structure for implementing curriculum varies depending on the children's ages. We have constructed formats for planning activities and learning for each classroom according to those children's developmental abilities and needs. We have developed a cohesive system that provides developmentally appropriate ways of teaching young children. 

• Infant Classroom- For the infant classroom we have a very individualized curriculum. All of the teachers together plan one small group activity for each day (such as painting or a nature walk)  and also plan for changes to the environment, parent involvement, and outside time. Individually, each teacher then writes one goal/objective for the three children she is the primary caregiver for. Throughout the week this teacher will then work on that specific goal with the child it is designed for.  All of this planning is done on a weekly basis and is posted in the classroom on one"Activity Plan". 
• Toddler Classroom-  For the toddler classroom we try to continue to focus on individualizing, while implementing a little bit more group work. The planning form looks much the same as the infant rooms, with a few variations. All of the teachers together plan one group activity for each day. For the toddlers the group activity is usually one that allows the children to sit down together and work on something. The teachers again also plan for changes to the environment, parent involvement, and outside time. Then for each Individual child, each lead teacher writes one goal/objective for five children in the classroom. Throughout the week this teacher will then work on that specific goal with the child it is designed for.  All of this planning is done on a weekly basis and is posted in the classroom on one "Activity Plan". 
• Two-Year-Old-Room- For the two-year-old classroom our planning begins to look different. For this classroom we follow a Project Approach to learning. The teachers decide on a project to work on based on the children's interests. Once they decide on a project they use various forms to design learning opportunities in the classroom that deal with that project. They post all of this information on a project board in the classroom. These projects are changed as the children's interests change, usually about once a month. Weekly the teachers write out the activities to be done throughout the day on a "Lesson Planning Form", these are also posted in the classroom. This way the teachers can break down the bigger project concept to focus more on more specific skills or learning. 
• Preschool Classroom-  For the preschool classroom our planning is very similar to the two-year-old room. For this classroom we follow a Project Approach also, the only difference being that the teachers ask the children to help design the project they will work on. The teachers decide on several ideas for a project to work on based on the children's interests. They then meet with the children and use various forms to design learning opportunities in the classroom that deal with that project. The children are able to discuss what they know about a subject and what they would like to learn. Once the planning is completed by the teachers and children they post all of this information on a project board in the classroom. These projects are changed as the children's interests change, usually about once a month. Weekly the teachers write out the activities to be done throughout the day on a "Lesson Planning Form", these are also posted in the classroom. This way the teachers can break down the bigger project concept to focus more on more specific skills or learning.