Early Education Curriculum Overview
In addition to Language Arts and Mathematics, our curriculum includes Art, Music, Science/Geography and Spanish. Art, Music and Spanish classes are taught by experienced teachers who are specialists in their fields. They share their enthusiasm and love for these subjects with all the children. Children enjoy having time with each of these teachers for one-half hour, two to three times per week (depending on age).
Our teachers use a project-based approach for the many different themes children explore.For younger children, classroom teachers select a wide variety of developmentally-appropriate topics for children to discover and learn. The classroom teachers for three- and four-year olds guide the children, helping them decide on project topics. Children discuss and explore the topic, asking questions and then discovering the answers during the course of the project. Recent topics have included oceans and aquatic life, the solar system, health and exercise, community helpers and world cultures.
LANGUAGE ARTS
Our Language Arts curriculum is sequential and process-oriented. Children engage in hands-on activities that help them learn phonetic sounds, consonant blends and digraphs. They progress to word- and sentence-building activities and reading. Each classroom has its own library area. Literature and poetry are readily available for children to enjoy. Teachers share literature with children to reinforce day-to-day literacy lessons and to encourage creative and critical thinking. Children are encouraged to express their ideas through drawing and writing.
Our All-Star classes also enjoy guided reading time with with Ms. Danelle LaFoe, our Curriculum Coordinator, where they have additional opportunities to practice and develop their emerging literacy skills.
MATHEMATICS
Our Mathematics curriculum incorporates the everyday use of numbers through symbol recognition, quantities and place value using the base ten system. We provide a hands-on learning environment where children explore many different mathematical concepts, including patterns, skip counting, telling time and monetary values. They are also introduced to addition, subtraction and multiplication.
Children are encouraged to utilize and develop their critical thinking skills as they use colors, shapes, patterns and measurements to create models, dioramas or other representational objects that correlate to projects in the classroom.
SCIENCE/GEOGRAPHY
Our curriculum builds on children's innate sense of curiosity and wonder by giving them opportunities to learn about the world around them. Children enjoy learning how the world "works" through hands-on activities and developmentally appropriate experiments.
Geography activities help children understand the larger world. They develop basic map-reading skills and learn about different geographical environments (oceans, deserts, prairies, forests) and the animals and plants that inhabit them.
LIFE SKILLS
These are developmentally appropriate activities that enable children to build their coordination and fine-motor skills, which are an important foundation for reading and writing. Life skills activities are process-oriented and become more challenging as children's skills develop. Activities include pouring, scooping, sweeping, stringing and tweezing, all of which help children develop concentration, calmness and a sense of order.
MUSIC
Our Music curriculum is structured to provide diverse and enjoyable musical experiences for children. Our goal is to instill a natural understanding of music, as well as an appreciation for music that will continue throughout their lives.
Students discover their singing voices, establish a steady beat, are introduced to a variety of instruments and engage in movement activities. Familiarity with music and musical concepts helps children develop academic skills such as pattern 
recognition and counting.
Older children are also introduced to reading and writing musical notes, as well as musical form.
SPANISH
Our Spanish curriculum incorporates many different themes that introduce children to vocabulary, phrases and conversation. Spanish time also helps children become aware of the different languages and cultures that are part of the world around them.
ART
Our Art curriculum emphasizes the enjoyment and exploration involved in the process of creating art. Art projects are developmentally appropriate, involve both gross- and fine-motor skills and provide children with an opportunity to experiment with different materials. Children are also introduced to specific artists and periods in Art history.
