CURRICULUM PHILOSHOPHY

We provide an early learning environment for children 1 to 6 years of age. Our goal is to provide a warm and caring, home-like atmosphere, where all children, no matter their family race, sexual orientation, religion, or economic level, feel welcome and appreciated.  We are open to difficult discussions about what needs to change to make you feel truly welcome.

The core of our curriculum is the warm and welcoming interaction children have each day with friends and teachers. Each classroom is set up in learning centers (home center, building, library, art, sensory, manipulative, and science) so the children learn to manage their time, make good choices and problem solve. The day is a balance of active and quiet times so children are active but not over stimulated.

Our teachers are educated professionals and build a partnership with parents to provide the best possible education and care for the children. Please share any ideas, concerns, or recommendations you have with them. We have annual parent-teacher conferences at the beginning of the year, offered in Spring or upon parent or teacher request.

We invite parent participation in our classrooms, on field trips and at annual center events such as fall festival, curriculum night, field trips and the end of the year picnic.

Each week we present the children with new stories, songs, books, and activities. We provide age and developmentally appropriate activities that encompass all aspects of early childhood education. We extend and enrich the children’s play so the projects and activities can change during the week depending on the children’s interest and direction they take.

We plan a balance of child directed and teacher directed activities and are committed to giving children the social/emotional (self-esteem, independence, self-help skills, separation), cognitive (art, language development, math, cooking, science) and physical (building, large and small motor) skills they need. Teachers use a variety of learning approaches to meet each child’s individual needs to develop the whole child. Teachers are committed to giving the child opportunities to learn the skills they need to be successful in life.

We are aware of new research concerning all aspects of child development so we can implement new ways to instruct children. Children already know so much! This kind of curriculum encourages teachers to focus on the child’s development and to build on the child’s existing strengths. Our focus is the serious work children do through play, and we work on cognitive skills that are to be mastered before kindergarten. We focus on the child’s interest to guide us. We want to build on their learning, starting with what they already know. If the child shows an interest in a concept or activity, we have the materials to help that child achieve his/her goals.

In 2004 we chose Creative Curriculum that aligns with our values and philosophy’s.  We started doing assessments in 2016 and now use the Washington Early Learning and Developmental Guidelines to assess children’s learning through the ProCare App and it aligns developmentally appropriate goals and objectives for early learners with the Common Core Standards used by Public Education for the State of WA.  This helps our teachers set learning goals for individuals as well as the class.  It helps us cover all learning areas and teach intentionally.

Teachers finalize their observations and then share the information with parents at conferences.

Creative Curriculum Six reasons to choose it

WA Early Learning and Developmental Guidelines 2012