We take pride in planning and providing early learning activities that are exciting, fun and developmentally appropriate for the children.

Our program plans are developed using a blend of book based, theme based and emergent based curriculum models.

Emergent Curriculum

Emergent curriculum describes the kind of curriculum that develops when exploring what is “socially relevant, intellectually engaging, and personally meaningful” to children.

In emergent curriculum, both adults and children have initiative and make decisions. The curriculum is called emergent because it evolves, diverging along new paths as choices and connections are made, and it is always open to new possibilities that were not thought of during the initial process.
An emergent curriculum is one that is built upon the interests of children. It is often spontaneous and responsive to the immediate interests of a group of children. Topics are driven by the ideas, excitement, information and questions from the children themselves.

Teachers are not the “expert” who knows all and teaches the children but rather co-explore alongside and observe and encourage their discoveries.
Each topic may last a day, week, a month or more- as long as the children are interested in pursuing the ideas.

If the initial topic is broad it may be helpful to create a web to visualize the possible progression of ideas. Preschool staff may create a web to display for parents pictures of the children, discussions, etc. as the topic expands.
We encourage you to share your child’s interests with us.

Theme based curriculum

Theme based curriculum describes the kind of curriculum that develops when teachers plan activity outcomes ahead, based on what they want the children to study and learn. Based on the concept that children/people learn things based on what they already know, linking new information to old. A theme is an idea or topic that the staff and children can explore in many different ways. Art, songs, stories etc are often based on the theme being taught, linking the subject matter together, and giving children with different learning styles an opportunity to use their particular talents.

We may from time to time develop our plans based on a topic that we have chosen due to the recommendations of therapists (labeling body parts), an upcoming event or shared experience (visiting the farm), or the time of year (celebrating holiday seasons).

We are flexible in these plans as they are subject to change based on the children’s interests.

Book based curriculum

Book based curriculum describes the kind of curriculum that provides a framework for developing engaging, developmentally appropriate curriculum in the preschool classroom based on books children love. These books tell us so much about their passions, their hopes, and their fears. Good books are rich with themes, concepts, and ideas that provide a springboard for activities across the curriculum.

“Read With Me” Program

We have developed a book based program that focuses on literacy in our preschool that is called “Read with me”. Each child in our program will have the opportunity to take home a book for a couple of days to sit with an adult and enjoy.

We hope that parents will look at the pictures, read, and talk about the story with their child. The book is returned in the cloth bag that it comes in within a couple of days so that another child can share it with their parent(s). We have several copies of each book to rotate amongst all of the children. Each month or so a new book will be circulated.

Related activities will be happening throughout different areas of our classroom during this time period. For example, the children may enjoy hearing the same story told in a variety of different ways and have an opportunity to retell the story themselves.

Be a good role model….share the love of books with your child!