Early Childhood

Art

Early Childhood students have many opportunities for visual learning within their classroom. Hands-on art activities build their fine motor skills and nurture their imagination.

Communication Arts

The Early Childhood Communication Arts curriculum exposes students to a literature-rich environment fostering pre-writing and pre-reading skills, with a goal of kindergarten readiness.

Students in the Pre-Toddler and Toddler program use books, songs, fingerplays, and nursery rhymes to introduce the letters of the alphabet, vocabulary, and communication skills. Students practice fine motor skills using a multitude of tools and activities to foster pre-writing skills. 

Preschool students expand on their knowledge of the alphabet and other building blocks of language such as rhyming and letter-sound connections.  They increase their language by sharing personal experiences and they expand on reading comprehension skills by retelling stories and sequencing.  Fine-motor work continues to prepare students for reading and writing.

Pre-Kindergarten students prepare for Kindergarten by understanding the relationship between the spoken and written word and how language is used to communicate and express.  A focus on individual letters (recognizing them, forming them, and sounding them) leads to whole-word comprehension.  Students will work on demonstrating comprehension and representing ideas by answering questions, sequencing stories, and drawing.  They continue to work on fine motor skills.
 

Library

Pre-Toddler and Toddler students discover a basic understanding of the purpose of the Library. They are encouraged to come in and listen quietly to stories and to participate in various language activities. The students’ time in the Library should be an extension of their early literacy development. 

Preschool and Prekindergarten students will learn to take responsibility for the books they check out from the Library. They will learn to choose books to take and enjoy at home with their families. They also enjoy listening to stories in Library class and choosing books to look at and read independently on the Reading Rug. They will learn about the elements of a story, how to make predictions about events in the story, and how to identify parts of a book. Their time in the Library should be an extension of their overall literacy development. 

Math

Early Childhood students use a variety of manipulatives to learn mathematic concepts. They practice counting, matching one to one, and sorting objects based on one or more attributes. They are learning to measure, pattern, and use trial and error strategies.

Music

The Early Childhood curriculum focuses on creative movement and play, hands-on learning with instruments, the basic elements of music, and developing a beginning appreciation of music. All Early Childhood students participate in small performance events held in the classroom, and in larger performances throughout the school year, including a “Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day” and a winter musical.

Physical Education

Early Childhood students are introduced to sports by receiving a basic overview of the rules of the game while participating in drills to help develop the basic athletic skills needed to participate in organized sports. Early Childhood students participate in many additional activities to improve their motor and manipulative skills which include many jumping, balancing, running, throwing, and catching activities.

Science

Many of our thematic units are based on plant and animal science, weather concepts, and physical science concepts. Early Childhood students explore their environment in and outside the classroom using their five senses. They participate in and learn to predict, observe, and document results of experiments.

Social Studies

Early Childhood students are introduced to the concept of self, as well as family, friends, and occupations. They learn that we are all part of our own family and citizens of our school and community.

Spanish

Early Childhood Spanish classes introduce the language in conjunction with the overall homeroom themes. This allows the strengthening of the themes and a connection which then allows teachers to reinforce concepts and make the Spanish language practical. In this age group, students are encouraged to recognize, and ultimately learn, basic Spanish vocabulary and appropriate responses.

Social Emotional

Students are learning to socialize and interact with peers and teachers. They work on being part of a group and looking to teachers for help. They learn to identify and cope with their emotions. Students are learning to use table manners and verbal courtesies, as well as working, playing, and solving conflicts with peers.