I pull from a variety of Curriculums and ideas, to create my very own Preschool Curriculum for your child.
My primary curriculum is literacy based. We study stories, and with those stories we build on the topics, new ideas, and creative expression. Children learn through repetition, so we spend 2-3 weeks on one story; reading similar versions from different authors, retelling them through drama, flannel boards, props, and pretend play. The children find new favorite stories that they feel confident reading, they learn new vocabulary, and they explore different ways to share the same thing. They build on their prior learning, and come to their own endings. In the long run, children who learn in a literacy based curriculum find a love for reading, words, writing, and story telling; all which are skills that they will use through the rest of their academic years, and long into adulthood.
I also use a Curriculum called Second Step: A Violence Prevention Curriculum. You can get more information about it by visiting the Committee for Children Website or clicking here. Basically, Second Step is a curriculum that uses large cards, puppets, posters, and music to teach children how to recognize their own feelings, how to calm themselves down when upset, and how to solve social problems with their peers. It is a great way for children to engage in conversation and to learn skills to help manage their emotions.
We use a lot of Spanish at Forever Young as well. Although, I would not say that I am fluent; I speak "Preschool Spanish" very well! At ECEAP where I taught for 5 years we had a high Latino population which created my desire to want to be able to communicate with children and their families. I am very interested in Speech and Language Development and am intrigued by how fast young children pick up a new language! Exposure to the Spanish language at this young age, just may give them an edge when they are older and must take it for a grade or credit in school! Your child will learn numbers, colors, body parts, food, directional/positional words, songs, stories, and so much more in Spanish as well as English!
We have a wonderful Certified Children's Yoga Instructor who comes twice a month and takes the children on a special "Yoga Adventure"! It usually corresponds with a story we are learning about or a topic we have been interested in. We also have Cascade Elite Gymnastics come twice a month and do classes with the kiddos! They love their Coach and it is fun to get to go to the actual Gymnastics Facility in the Spring and show parents our skills!
Along with our literacy based curriculum, we will be learning many of the "typical" preschool skills as well in all the areas of development.
Social-Emotional Development
Positive Attachment
Sharing
Asking others to play
Conflict Resolution
Manners
Language Development
Conversation Skills
Speaking Clearly
Expanding Vocabulary
Physical Development
Handwriting
Running
Jumping
Hand Eye Coordination
Balancing
Scissor Skills
Cognitive Development
Letter Recognition
Letter-Sound Connection
Colors
Shapes
Counting
Quantifying
Patterning
Retelling Stories
Because I run Forever Young Daycare in a preschool type manner, or classroom style; I cater to each age of the children, and change the curriculum to meet specific needs. This means that a 2 year old, will be doing much of the same things that a 4 year old will be doing, but in a different way. Their projects will be much more simpler, they will not do as in depth reading, and obviously their understanding of stories will not be that of a 4 year old. But, it will still be a fun, exciting, and enriching curriculum!
