Our CUrriculum
As early childhood educators, we understand the importance of a research based curriculum to provide age-appropriate learning opportunities to the children we serve. Our carefully planned curriculum is based off of the newest trends and research to prepare young children to be school ready; equipped with social, emotional, cognitive, and language skills. At Kidz Creative Corner we utilize a widely renowned curriculum named “The Creative Curriculum” from Teaching Strategies LLC. enhanced by award winning programs like University of Chicago’s Everyday Mathematics and Jolly Phonics. The curriculum provides the teachers in each of our classrooms the tools necessary to aid our children in each step of their development. We use the information provided along with our teachers’ creativity to provide a unique, play-based learning experience.
Teachers provide weekly lesson plans that are on display in each classroom for parents to view. We provide opportunities for individualized planning as needed to help each child reach important developmental milestones. Our center has weekly themes in which our hands on learning experiences are based.
The areas of development and learning that we focus on are:
* Social-Emotional Development
* Physical Development
* Cognitive Development
* Literacy
* Mathematics
* Science and Technology
* Social Studies
* The Arts
* English Language Acquisition
At KCC we believe that children learn best through PLAY! Widespread, long term research has revealed that a play based, developmentally appropriate preschool is in fact, the best academic preschool. We teach children lessons, good manners, and social skills all through creative and appropriately planned play. We know that if children enjoy learning at a young age, it will carry with them throughout their lives!
Our program has a perfect balance between child and teacher centered activities. This includes an extensive period of time for children to choose activities from an engaging environment as well as planned activities like art, science, math, dramatic play, writing, reading, and more!
We have given considerable thought to the environment of the classrooms. Children will have the opportunity to experience many types of activities that incorporate language, numbers, fine motor, problem solving and other skills essential for future success.
The Harvard Preschool Project concluded that children developed best when a caring adult directed their conversation to what the child was focused on at the moment. This is what our teachers do, use the child’s interest, not standard instructions. During free choice time they circulate among the children and engage them where appropriate to expand their learning and vocabulary. They teach children how to resolve and negotiate conflicts, and observe each child in a meaningful way.
Here’s an interesting paragraph from "The Importance Of Being Little”by Erica Christakis, early childhood educator at Yale. Our teachers have taken the following to heart...
"Consider the difference between a teacher’s use of a closed statement versus an open-ended question. Imagine that a teacher approaches a child drawing a picture and exclaims, "Oh, what a pretty house!” If the child is not actually drawing a house, she might feel exposed, and even if she is drawing a house, the teacher’s remark shuts down further discussion: She has labeled the thing and said she likes it. What more is there to add? A much more helpful approach would be to say, "Tell me about your drawing,” inviting the child to be reflective. It’s never possible to anticipate everything a small person needs to learn, so open-ended inquiry can reveal what is known and unknown. Such a small pedagogic difference can be an important catalyst for a basic, but unbounded, cognitive habit—the act of thinking out loud.”
Unlike most preschools, we give our teachers flexibility to adapt their classroom’s program into something they are passionate about and can effectively teach to their students. This allows for more student-teacher interaction, and a better learning experience.
Highly encouraged parent participation is a strong contributor to the success of our curriculum and program as a whole. Our monthly themes and planning promotes strong parent/teacher relationships and communication through verbal discussions, "My Kidz Day" App, weekly emails, posted classroom activities, newsletters and conferences. Biannual parent teacher conferences (or more often if needed) and child screenings are conducted for each child. We are constantly working with parents to set mutual goals for their child and keep track of their progress.
Young children are wonderful little beings who learn best from people who love them, and in an environment that genuinely engages them. You as a parent love your children and we do too! Let’s work together to give them the best start in life.
Please browse our website for more information on our programs.