Classroom
This STEM-inspired classroom provides materials and experiences to develop critical thinkers and problem solvers. Science, technology, engineering, and math are integrated throughout, in eight learning centers.
Pre-K Program
Ready for Kindergarten
To engage and nurture each child, we offer a balance of freedom and instruction. This STEM-focused early education classroom is designed as an interactive learning community, where children build skills vital to success in kindergarten, gain respect for others, and develop a strong sense of confidence.
The Pre-K program provides a focus on:
- Problem-solving
- Responsive listening
- Using language to learn
- Social and collaborative skills
Classroom
Art Center
Creativity, problem-solving, and self-expression are developed in this center, as children discover different art techniques, color concepts, and cooperation.
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Block Center
Children build hand-eye coordination and practice inventiveness, as they develop goal-setting and critical-thinking skills by counting, sorting, and patterning.
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Dramatic Play Center
Through cooperative pretend play, children develop early writing and reading skills, explore emotional expression, and learn how to make sense of real life.
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Math Center
Children begin to think critically about numbers and math concepts, such as addition and subtraction, while sorting, ordering, and using measuring tools.
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Music & Movement Center
Children love to move, dance, and sing. This center helps them to work on physical coordination, cooperation, and communication while having fun.
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Science Center
Classification, analysis, predicting, and experimenting are all skills children will use in this area, while exploring physical and earth science concepts, including plant and animal lifecycles.
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Reading Center
Story reasoning, print awareness, and word recognition are some of the significant literacy skills children begin to develop in this area.
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Writing Center
Children will begin to communicate through writing, as they work on letter and word recognition and formation, segmenting words into sounds, and putting sounds together to make words.
Curriculum & Developmental Scales
Early Innovators™, our STEM curriculum, integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math into meaningful learning experiences. Children learn best when making connections between diverse skills and concepts. Teachers use our digital lesson planning tool to generate customized curriculum, based on assessment and observation, to meet the needs of each child as they progress along 10 developmental scales:
- Approaches to Learning
- Creative Arts
- Lenguaje
- Alfabetización
- Logic & Reasoning
- Early Math
- Nature & Science
- Ciencias sociales
- Physical Development/Health
- Social-Emotional Development
Approaches to Learning
Measures children’s ability to plan, set goals, and interact with others and with the environment.
Creative Arts
Measures children’s ability to express ideas and feelings through music, movement, visual arts, and drama.
Lenguaje
Measures children’s expressive and receptive vocabulary and their ability to use conversation skills and vocabulary to communicate effectively.
Alfabetización
Measures children’s phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, reading, and writing skills.
Logic & Reasoning
Measures children’s sequencing, problem-solving, and symbolic and critical-thinking skills.
Early Math
Measures children’s ability to understand numbers, patterns, sorting, and ordering, as well as the ability to use numbers to add, subtract, measure, and graph.
Sample Activity: Zippers or Buttons
Milestone: Graphing.
Desired Outcome: Child creates graphs of real objects making comparisons between groups.
- Children help cut one-inch squares of construction paper of two different colors. The teacher tells the children they're going to find out how many zippers are on their clothes and how many buttons, using these squares, chart paper, markers, and glue.
- The teacher and children make a simple chart with two columns, "Zippers" and "Buttons." They select the different color squares to represent zippers or buttons.
- The teacher and children count zippers and buttons. The children glue the appropriate number of colored squares in each column of the chart.
- The teacher helps children determine if there are more buttons or more zippers.
Nature & Science
Measures children’s understanding of the natural and physical world, as well as their ability to observe, describe, predict, and gather data.
Sample Activity: Red, White, and Blue Flowers
Milestone: Questioning and developing hypotheses.
Desired Outcome: Child asks “what will happen if” questions to help predict a future event.
- Children fill two containers with water (not quite to the top). Children count the drops as the teacher adds red food coloring to one container and blue to the other.
- Each child snips the end of a flower, chooses a color, and puts it in the container. The teacher asks questions, such as what color the flower is, how plants and flowers get water, and what they think will happen as the flowers soak in the colored water.
- Throughout the week, flowers are kept in a safe place and the teacher encourages them to check on the flowers, plus talk or write about what is happening.
- At the end of the week, each child selects a flower to bring home.
Ciencias sociales
Measures children’s understanding of themselves, their families, communities, and their world.
Physical Development/Health
Measures children’s fine and gross motor skills and their understanding of health and nutrition.
Expert Corner: Get Moving, Get Learning
When we move, we're providing our brain with blood and oxygen-the core elements that power brain function. That's why movement and learning go hand-in-hand. Every day at our schools, we practice this sort of active learning-and now you can do the same at home.
Expert Corner: Get Moving, Get Learning
When we move, we're providing our brain with blood and oxygen-the core elements that power brain function. That's why movement and learning go hand-in-hand. Every day at our schools, we practice this sort of active learning-and now you can do the same at home.
...children's brains are more alert when they are moving. This is why it can be so important to incorporate movement into educational activities, such as practicing literacy skills.
Dr. Susan Canizares
Social-Emotional Development
Measures children’s self-awareness and ability to show respect and empathy for others.
