Through observation, conversation and research, the staff and children select areas of interest and investigate. Because children are naturally curious about the world around them, they provide an endless number of explorations. Current examples have included lizards, water, color, volcanoes, pill bugs, acceleration and honey. Embedded in the explorations are all the standards that the state of Ca
lifornia requires for kindergarten readiness. On any given day, you might find us searching the grounds for insects, counting and mapping their location, observing their defenses, constructing their likenesses from paint, paper, clay, etc. and dictating books about our discoveries. These explorations can be individualized or adopted by whole groups. We hope to develop a keen interest in the natural world, positive peer interaction, self-regulation, and artistic expression, while offering the time and space to grow. Our curriculum is constantly evolving and developing under the guidance of the fully accredited early childhood teachers. A good example was the apple tasting project that came out of the children's love of apples at snack time. Sometimes the apples were red, sometimes yellow or green. So the teachers and children had an apple tasting with the different colored apples. They then documented the results in pictures, charts and books. They read about apple trees and apples, made apple pie, and used apples for apple printing. With a ratio of 4 to 1 in the preschool and 6 to 1 in the prekindergarten, teachers can focus on early literacy as well as the children’s social, emotional, and physical development. In a warm and supportive environment, children are given the opportunity to make choices and decisions, organize their own activities and develop confidence in their own abilities, thus leading to greater self-regulation, one of the best indicators of future success in school and out.
