The best characteristic of a great center is its curriculum or guidelines for learning. We follow the guidelines established by National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) for curriculum as part of our daily lesson plans. We focus our attention on the whole child. Equal attention is given to physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development. We see each child as an individual; we recognize that children’s learning styles and developmental growth may vary.
Our curriculum allows for children to choose from an assortment of exciting educational resources, activities and equipment. Each child is encouraged to progress at his or her own rate of learning. Growth is stimulated by providing opportunities for youngsters to make choices and to problem solve. We stimulate learning and comprehension by encouraging each child to seek new and interesting challenges thus fostering independence, decision-making, and responsibility.
Infants
Our infant classroom offers an array of bright, stimulating equipment as well as a comforting area. We provide a rich environment for babies to safely explore the interesting world around them. We provide our babies with opportunities to enjoy, explore, and learn by touching, hearing, seeing, and grasping many exciting new concepts.
- To expand language development of more single, concept words, two-three combo word patterns.
- To increase attention span by listening to stories and activity participation for 2-3 minutes.
- To respond to and follow a one part and introduce a two part all verbal command.
- To develop matching shapes and colors.
- To further develop large motor skills of running, hopping, dancing to different musical beats.
- To further develop fine motor skills by encouraging line and circular scribbling; peg puzzle mastery.
We respond to each baby with soft voices, kind words, warm smiles, plenty of cuddling/holding and gentle touches in order to assure each in our care, that they are safe, secure, and special. We stimulate our babies’ auditory learning using appropriate vocabulary and language patterns, exposure to music, providing visual skill development presenting vibrant toys, pictures, and books. We follow a daily routing and an appropriate schedule to ensure a high level of security. When the time comes, we work on the large an small motor skills by helping our babies learn to sit without support, pull up to a standing position, crawl and eventually walk.
Toddlers
The word that describes this room and the age group of these children is BUSY.
Our toddler room is set up to encourage more complex independence skills such as self-selecting of activities, self-feeding/serving and the beginning of self-hygiene practice as in hand washing and tooth brushing.
- To expand language development of more single, concept words, two-three combo word patterns.
- To increase attention span by listening to stories and activity participation for 2-3 minutes.
- To respond to and follow a one part and introduce a two part all verbal command.
- To develop matching shapes and colors.
- To further develop large motor skills of running, hopping, dancing to different musical beats.
Jr. PreSchool (2-3 year olds)
At this age we encourage a greater independence of self-help skills. This will include potty training, assistance with responding to a two and three part verbal direction with no visual prompts, and opportunities to expand language into full sentences. Further fine motor skills through the use of scissors and thinner crayons and fat pencils. Expand language into full sentence and top promote age developmentally appropriate concepts in areas of:
- Math
- Science
- Pre-reading
Senior PreSchool (3-4 year olds)
Our foundation preschool program enhances that confidence by providing activities to help three and four year old children become problem-solvers and develop a love of life-long learning.
- Through independent exploration structured activities and hands-on learning, children develop a variety of skills and knowledge in areas like early literacy, mathematics, science, and social skills. We also focus on essential life skills such as communication and self-regulation, plus, children are routinely encouraged to:
- Take on challenges
- Develop their own learning goals
- See situations from different perspectives
Pre-Kindergarten (4-5 year olds)
Prekindergarten is a time when children are making connections between what they know and what they are learning. Our PreK classroom is designed to help your child make significant developmental gains, communicate more successfully, and work well both independently and in group situations. We also focus on problem-solving, responsive listening and language usage, as well as social and collaborative skills, with specific lessons in:
- Reading (matching letters to sounds)
- Writing (using letters and other symbols to create written message)
- Math (sorting and classifying objects)
- Social skills (working together)
- Physical Skills (jumping, climbing)