Curriculum

OUR CURRICULUM

Our high-quality developmental curriculum includes both planned and free-choice activities. Our child-centered curriculum begins with the understanding of your child’s social, intellectual, and physical needs. We provide teacher-directed instruction as well as the opportunity for children to initiate their own learning activities within a supportive, nurturing, and safe environment. Our goal is to prepare our children for academic learning by emphasizing decision making and problem-solving skills. We also provide our students with a basic knowledge of Reform Judaism and its holidays, customs, and traditions. We emphasize morals and values, kindness and caring, and being respectful of others.

Areas of development include: language development, pre-reading and pre-writing skills, math and science, art, music and movement, dramatic play, stories and finger-plays, development of gross and fine motor skills, sensory perception, nature awareness, and social and emotional growth.

There is an emphasis on STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Math). Through a centers-based approach, teachers are able to integrate curriculum so that students make connections and learning is meaningful.

Our faculty meets and exceeds all county and state standards. Our lead teachers have as a minimum a Child Development Associate (CDA) degree or equivalent. Additionally, many of our assistant teachers hold a CDA as well. All staff members are required to complete course work in early childhood education. Staff members are certified in CPR and basic first aid for adults, children, and infants. Staff members are required to participate in several in-service training sessions throughout the school year which assures that our faculty continues to hone their skills and stay current in early childhood trends.

Our student to teacher ratio is optimal and allows teachers to individualize curriculum to meet children’s needs. Teachers plan together in a team approach to share ideas and maximize student learning. Teachers make parents a part of the process by sharing weekly curriculum reports and inviting parents in, to explore their child’s classroom.

HANDWRITING WITHOUT TEARS (HWT- PRE-READING AND PRE-WRITING)

HWT is a new enhancement to our curriculum that helps to develop and refine the skills necessary for writing. The Handwriting Without Tears program is used in all our classrooms, even with our youngest toddlers. The Handwriting Without Tears curriculum is implemented, as appropriate, to age level and builds on skills each year that will bear evident results in the handwriting abilities of our Pre-K graduates. Through in-depth staff training, teachers are knowledgeable about the latest research and techniques on fine motor development and pre-reading and pre-writing strategies.

JEWISH MORALS & VALUES

Our program places a strong emphasis on the development of Jewish morals and values and focuses on how we turn them into real-life experiences that help make us better people. We encourage universal values such as respect, kindness, and giving to others. Our Judaic Specialists lay the foundation for an introduction to Jewish holidays, customs, learning about Israel, and the good that comes from doing mitzvot (good deeds).

MUSIC & MOVEMENT

Our music specialist enriches our curriculum through music and movement. Children enjoy learning new songs both secular and non-secular, rhythms, and language development through repetition and rhyming and self-expression. Music is a fun time for children to sing their favorite songs and move to music while developing their gross motor skills.