Curriculum and Best Practices

We use a combination of curriculum to teach to the whole child.

We follow Developmental Appropriate Practices throughout our day. It influences how we set up our classroom, what toys we put on the shelves, activities we do both inside and outside, and interactions we have with our students. We follow the interests of our students to guide our classroom activities and the materials we supply them.

Social Emotional:

Second Step: It helps your littlest learner harness their energy and potential by teaching them to:

Listen

Pay attention

Manage their behavior

Get along with others

Writing: Handwriting without Tears:

The Handwriting Without Tears^® curriculum draws from years of innovation and research to provide developmentally appropriate, multi sensory strategies for early writing. The program follows research of how children learn best and includes materials that address all styles of learning.

Language Arts: we use a variety of teaching strategies to teach letter knowledge, phonemic awareness, site words, rhyme, syllables,

1) Handwriting without Tears also has a program called Learn & Play, It's Pre-K!

"Language & Literacy program actively teaches syllables, names and sounds of letters, words linked to content, new words in spoken language, how to respond to simple questions, and how to have discussions and share ideas.

The program focuses on building rich vocabulary, while children also learn to identify letter symbols, both capital and lowercase, by letter names. They learn how these “symbols” work together to form printed words and how printed words relate to spoken language."

2) Pocket of Preschool (POP): students do hands-on discovery though games and center based learning. Students will do fine motor journals, letter and phonics games, and so much more.

Math: We use a variety of hands-on activities to learn number sense, numeracy, pattering, shapes, and more.

1) Learn & Play, It's Pre-K!

"Children need number sense right from the start of school. Math concepts can be intimidating in the early years, but the Numbers & Math program demystifies numbers and makes math concepts relevant and fun for children.

With playful manipulative toys, music, and rhymes, our Numbers & Math program teaches counting, comparisons, spatial awareness, patterning, sequencing, matching, sorting, problem solving, and even Pre-K geometry skills."

Science:

We love STEAM activities. "STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. The end results are students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process. These are the innovators, educators, leaders, and learners of the 21st century!"

We incorporate hands-on STEAM activities in all of our themes.

Mindfulness:

While we do not have a specific curriculum we follow at this time we utilize skills of breathing, yoga, and guided medication stories.

Here is a great article about Mindfulness: https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/mindfulness-for-children

children building letters with pipe cleaners