Center Curriculum Goals
Preschool Program Goals
Program Focus:
*Prepare each child for kindergarten
*Develop academic and developmental skills
*Develop visual and auditory discrimination skills
*Build child’s self-awareness , self-esteem and self confidence
*To promote and instill a sense of caring for, and sensitivity towards others
*To provide children with opportunities to gain competence in a variety of skills and techniques that increase their interest and control over their environment
*To develop in the child an active curiosity about the world in which he/she lives, and an enthusiasm for learning which stimulates exploratory behavior and creativity
*To help the child gain self-discipline in an environment where he/she knows the limits and expectations
*To provide an atmosphere in the classroom which promotes respect for self, others, and materials
*To provide large portions of time where the child can be alone or with friends participating in a range of different and satisfying activities.
*To provide a wide variety of activities within a routine where cooperative play/work is encouraged and multiple skills are developed. Through these activities, children are learning to trust their own desires/decisions about what they will learn, hear, see and do and to begin sharing these experiences with others.
Program Goals:
Approaches to Learning:
*Children's thinking skills, including the development of logical and symbolic thinking, problem-solving skills, and approaches to learning.
*Children demonstrate positive attitudes habits and learning styles
*Follow directions
*Develop listening and memory skills
*Discover areas of eight learning domains
*Learn self-help skills – zippering, buttoning, and personal hygiene, etc
*Encourage the children to do tasks on their own
*Promote eye hand coordination, patience, waiting turns, etc.
*Give opportunities for hand washing, practicing proper meal manners
*Provide opportunities for pouring milk, juice, cereal; setting tables, preparing food, taste and smell comparisons, sharing
Social and Emotional Development:
* Children's feelings about themselves, the development of responsibility, and their ability to relate positively to others.
*Children demonstrate a strong and positive self-concept, appropriate self-control and growth in their awareness of their responsibilities when interacting with others *Develop skills in self-esteem, awareness and confidence
*Learn personal information – name, address, and telephone number
*Learn good manners
*Learn to get along with peers – functioning in a small or large group situation
*Enhance problem-solving and logical thinking skills
Language Development and Communication:
*Children's ability to communicate through words, both spoken and written.
*Children develop skills in listening and expressing their thoughts and ideas
*Develop pre-reading skills and vocabulary
*Develop music skills – songs, finger-plays, instruments
*Recognize and recite the alphabet and numbers
*Develop pre-writing skills
Literacy:
*Children develop skills in writing and reading while exploring print in books and in the environment
*Develop listening and memory skills, and use their imagination
*Teach the letters of the alphabet and their sounds, as children become interested
*Provide quiet areas and the opportunity for a child to: Learn to relax, appreciate and enjoy good books and enjoy being alone
Mathematics:
*Children develop ways to solve problems and to think about math
*Perform basic math
*Recognize the concept of time
*Recognize numbers, counting items, sequencing
*Learn that counting is both meaningful and fun
*Understand the relationship between a numeral and a set of objects
*Understand such terms as big/little, more/less, etc
*Recognize and name basic geometric shapes
*Become aware of and begin to appreciate the practical uses of numbers seen around him/her every day, e.g. clocks, calendars, money, etc.
Science:
*Children understand and use the scientific method of asking questions, observing and recording their findings and discussing their conclusions.
*Develop an awareness of and respect for the natural environment
*Develop observation and discrimination skills
*Encourage a child's curiosity
*Encourage sorting and classifying skills on the basis of size, shape and texture
*Develop an awareness of their bodies
Creativity:
*Children enjoy, express themselves, create and learn about the arts through experiences with a variety of art forms and media.
*Provide opportunities for creativity and imagination
*Develop small and large muscle skills through cutting, pasting, gluing, painting,modeling, folding, lacing,
*Develop color concepts
*Provide a release for positive and negative feelings
*Develop prewriting skills
*Encourage an appreciation for the arts
*Encourages children to learn musical tunes which they can sing and words
*Promotes enjoyment and appreciation for music
*Expresses freedom of movement and awareness of the body and space
*Provides exploration and familiarity with different musical instruments
Physical and Health Development:
*Children's gross and fine motor development
*Young children’s future health and well-being are directly related to strengthening their large and small muscles, using their sensory experiences and practicing healthy behavior.
*Develop small motor skills through cutting, coloring, drawing, puzzles, and painting
*Develop large motor skills through outdoor play and indoor exercise
*Fosters safety awareness
*Provides opportunities for role playing and sharing
*Increases social development and communication skills
Toddler Program Goals
Program Focus:
*Develop child’s self-awareness and self-esteem
*Introduce developmental activities
Program Goals:
Approaches to Learning/Cognitive Development:
*To learn about the world - sustains attention, understands how objects can be used, shows a beginning understanding of cause and effect, shows a beginning understanding that things can be grouped, uses problem solving strategies, engages in pretend play.
*To provide a nurturing, flexible and calm environment where physical affection is freely given, self- concept is enhanced, independence is encouraged and expectations are made clear
*To meet each child's physical needs while setting the stage for future independence in self-care. i.e. toilet teaching, putting on coats and shoes, etc.
*Reinforcing aspects of the routines, such as: snack time, lunch time, nap time, etc.
Social and Emotional Developmental:
*To learn about self and others - trusts known, caring adults, regulates own behavior, plays with other children, learns to be a member of a group, and uses personal care skills.
*Share and take turns
*Encourage awareness of others’ feelings
*Learn to play with other children and cooperate
*To promote and instill a sense of caring for, and sensitivity towards others; foundations for respect are established
*To model acceptable behavior which is critical to the toddlers who are practicing and learning cooperative and group play
*Build self-esteem and tolerance
*Encourage self-help independence skills in eating, cleaning-up, and dressing
*Encourage child to indicate needs in socially acceptable way
*To build self-confidence and a sense of self-worth, by allowing choices within limits and to build on successful experiences
*To provide a warm, accepting environment in which children can work and play
*To encourage curiosity and a sense of wonder with an environment that is designed to limit the use of "no"
*Setting limits in such a way that the child learns self-regulation
*Using the methods of distraction, substitution, alternative activity or corrective guidance when necessary
*Encouraging the children to use words rather than pushing or hitting other children
* Helping children play well independently among a larger group of children
Language Development and Communication:
*To learn about communicating - develops receptive language, develops expressive language, participates in conversations, understands and uses words,
*Encourage the use of words to express needs
*Follow simple directions
*Listen and respond to stories
*If ready – speak in sentences
*Working with the older toddlers on learning the words and actions to the songs we sing: i.e. by singing to the children and encouraging them to sing along.
* Encouraging the toddlers to talk more by:
using puppets, asking lots of questions (open-ended) and reading stories
Literacy:
*Develop listening and memory skills, and use their imagination
*Enjoy books and being read to
*Show an awareness of pictures and print
*Experiments with drawing and writing.
Mathematics:
*Identify objects and people
*Sort and classify objects
*If ready, identify colors, shapes, numbers, and letters
Science:
*To provide experiences with open-ended questions and where process, not product is emphasized
*To provide an atmosphere where children discover and explore
*To instill a sense of curiosity
Creativity:
*To provide an atmosphere where children discover and explore
*Encourages children to learn musical tunes which they can sing and words
*Promotes enjoyment and appreciation for music
*Expresses freedom of movement and awareness of the body and space
*Provides exploration and familiarity with different musical instruments
*Children enjoy, express themselves, create and learn about the arts through experiences with a variety of art forms and media.
*Provide opportunities for creativity and imagination
*Develop small and large muscle skills through cutting, pasting, gluing, painting, modeling, folding, lacing
*Develop color concepts
*Provide a release for positive and negative feelings
Physical and Health Motor Skills:
*To learn about moving - demonstrates basic gross motor skills, demonstrates basic fine motor skills.
*Develop large motor skills through outdoor play
*Develop small motor skills through finger plays, coloring, and eating
*Toilet training when ready
*Clean up after themselves
*Learn to put on shoes and clothing
*To provide a variety of active ways children can use their bodies to participate in fine and gross motor activities both indoors and outdoors
*To encourage participation in simple games and songs
Infant Program Goals
Program Focus:
*Develop meaningful attachments with caregivers. Helping infants grow in a way that is positive, supportive and oriented toward achievement.
*Infants needs, feelings and concerns are an important focus.
Program Goals:
Approaches to Learning/Cognitive Development
*To identify many familiar objects, people and pictures
*To express needs by using words and engage in language exchanges with others
*To name significant body parts on self and others
*To react to stories and songs by listening, retelling and commenting
*To experiment with language by repeating new words, numbers and rhymes
Social and Emotional Development
*To form attachment relationships to specific caregivers
*To show awareness of upcoming routine events
*To show awareness of other's feelings and to relate socially
*To express physical affection by going to a familiar adult on request and accepting affection
*To show pride, enjoy praise and develop a positive self-concept/esteem
Sensory Stimulation and Perception
*To notice and comment on qualities experienced by the senses such as tast, textures, temperatures and weights
*To relate to space and time sequences such as daily routines and locating play things
*To retell stories or recreate past events
*To reason and thing concerning prediciton and cause-effect relationships
*To use part-whole skills relationships
Physical Development
*To pursue large motor activities such as tumbling, rolling form stomach to back, lifting head, sitting with support, crawling, climbing, walking, jumping, hopping and hugging with as much success as possible
*To provide small gross motor skills/pincer grasp/small muscle eye-hand coordination
*To encourage rhthmic movement on moving toys and through activity
Art and Creative Expression
*To experiment with new art materials in daily and special projects
*To seek musical activities and attempt to learn songs and play instruments appropriately and joing them with pleasure
*To create stories with dolls, vehicles or blocks
