Curriculum
The children‘s curriculum at NSCCP is play-based, hands-on, experiential, and geared to young children’s developmental strengths. We put a strong emphasis on social skills and conflict resolution between children and adults, and children with their peers. We encourage our children to communicate with others and to solve problems. We want children in our program to become relaxed in a school setting and look forward to learning and sharing.
In addition, there is a parent education component of our class. For the entire school, this is scheduled one evening a month. The Family and 1-3s classes also participate in in-class parent education once a week in a smaller group setting. We discuss how our philosophy and curricula support children and prepare them for a successful transition to Kindergarten, life-long learning, and social competence.
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Large Motor Playtime
We flex and exercise our growing muscles to increase our balance and coordination and to find joy in using our bodies. Playtime in the classroom or on the playground is also a great time to work on sharing and problem solving.
How Do Children Participate?Children run, jump, ride, chase, pretend, slide, swing, and socialize. Some children choose low-key activities, like playing in the sandbox. Other children run up the slide and whoosh down fifty times a day.
How Do Adults Participate?Adults supervise all children for safety. They step in to guide children through problem solving steps as needed. Sometimes adventurous adults crawl through tunnels, use the slide, kick the ball, or play tag.
Transitions
Alas, none of our activities last forever! We move from one major activity type to the next as a group.
How Do Children Participate?Our 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds line up for many transitions. Our youngest children travel between activities as a more informal group.
How Do Adults Participate?Adults oversee transitions by taking frequent “head counts” and encouraging children to transition cooperatively.
Circle Time
In all classes Circle Time includes teacher led singing, dance, and movement. Children are also greeted individually at Circle and welcomed into the group. In the 3-4’s and PreK classes, Circle Time also includes children’s discussion time, group games, and other sharing or learning activities.
How Do Children Participate?Children have a wide range of behaviors at Circle from cuddling up with their grown-up and only peeking out occasionally to jumping up and leading us in song. We help children to learn to listen to one another and to not distract other people during the activities.
How Do Adults Participate?Adults participate in Circle by singing, dancing, listening, and talking too! The active participation by adults reinforces to children that this is an important part of our day. Adults also supervise and solve problems as they come up (grabbing tissue for a drippy nose, holding someone close, helping someone figure out where to sit, etc.)
Snack
We have snack to fuel our bodies, practice our table manners, and enjoy a quiet social time. We also express our gratitude to the family that provided snack and work on self-care skills. For the safety of all our members we are a NUT FREE school. We require that all snacks brought into the school are free of nuts and nut products.
How Do Children Participate?Children are required to sit down when eating. Each child may choose what foods he or she wants to eat and how much to eat. Children 2 years and up pour their own water and clear their own spot.
How Do Adults Participate?Adults take turns providing snack for the class. The snack parent cleans and sets the table for the children and cleans up the snack area after children have eaten. Adults also monitor snack for safety including noting allergies and dietary restrictions.
Free Choice
During Free Choice, children roam the space and participate in whatever activities are most interesting to them. There are always art projects, sensory experiences, blocks, dress-up, fine motor manipulatives, and toys available to choose from.
How Do Children Participate?Children spend a few minutes on many different activities or a concentrated time on a few activities - they choose!
How Do Adults Participate?Adults are assigned to specific classroom stations during Free Choice to help children as needed, keep the “mess” contained, and maintain peace.
Clean-up
We pick up our toys and clean up our mess together.
How Do Children Participate?Children work alongside adults to restore the classroom to pre-use conditions.
How Do Adults Participate?Adults do the bulk of the cleaning work in the youngest classes and diligently supervise and encourage full participation from older students.
Good-bye Gathering
This is a quick wrap-up for the day and often includes a dance or song. This time always includes individual good-byes as we transition out of the group.
How Do Children Participate?Children wave good-bye to their friends, get a hug or a high five from their Teacher and transition from the group’s care to their parent or individual caregiver.
How Do Adults Participate?Adults make any necessary last minute announcements and supervise all children until each boy or girl is safely under the care of his or her family.