CURRICULUM AREAS
In developing my curriculum, I use elements of Creative Curriculum, Growing Up Wild curriculum, Illinois Early Learning standards, my own experience with children, and the interests and learning styles of the children currently in my care.
Literacy: Learning to read and write is actually a process that children begin in infancy when they first become aware of sounds and the world around them. Children in my care are read to, talked to, and played with from infancy onward. As children continue to grow and develop, music and rhyme, continued experience with books and language, and activities involving the ABCs are incorporated into the program. By the time a child leaves for kdg, s/he generally associates the letters with the consonant sound they make and is beginning to establish a sight word vocabulary.
A children's librarian from Poplar Creek Library visits my home monthly for story time, bringing with her a large bag of books each visit which the children delight in. This is addition to the many books that are available to the children from my own collection.
Science: Because of the natural curiosity of children, science is very appropriate to incorporate in a program for young children. There are a number of things we do which come under the category of “natural science.” For example, the children and I grow a garden together. We also feed the birds and enjoy watching them. Two of the highlights of our year are raising monarch butterflies and tapping the maple tree out front to make syrup. The other strand is “experimental science.” We do child-sized experiments employing scientific method appropriate for young children. “I wonder what will happen if….” Or “ can you think of any way we could make this ball of clay float? Let’s try our ideas and find out.”
Health: At mealtimes, the conversation at the table is frequently about what the food we are eating does for our bodies. Hand washing is an important part of our routine, as is active play to encourage fitness and healthy hearts. Since rest is important for healthy, growing bodies as well as to provide energy and promote a positive mood, nap time is part of the routine here.
Social Studies: Much of what I do with the children regarding social studies falls under the category of learning the values of our culture. I plan activities that require cooperation. I am also alert throughout the day for opportunities that may arise that would allow us to practice these values. I begin actively teaching problem solving once a child is three, hopefully encouraging the ability to see things from another point of view as I do so. I am always looking for ways to give the children opportunities to practice kindness, good manners, respect, responsibility and honesty. As opportunities arise, I also involve the children in activities that foster thoughtfulness and generosity to others in the community.
Another aspect of social studies involved in my program include learning about jobs that different people within the community perform. Children are also generally quite interested in the machines we see in our community, trucks, train, airplanes, etc.
Math: As is the case with all the curriculum areas mentioned, opportunities for developing mathematical thinking are woven into our day. Examples would be activities requiring the recognition and making of patterns, shapes, serration, comparisons, classifying, and matching and counting activities.
Arts and Crafts: Time spent on crafts and process art give children the opportunity for self-expression and problem solving while developing strength and coordination in their hands needed for later school skills such as writing. Plus, things like painting, gluing, cutting, using crayons, pen and paper, stringing, hole punching, etc are just plain fun.
Music: Music is an important aspect of our time together, it is woven throughout the curriculum from the thankful song before meals to bi-annual visits from a harpist. We enjoys songs, rhymes, rhythm instruments, CDs of favorite children's musicians, and stringed instruments such as a ukulele, lap harp, and my guitar. Music is great to move to as well, with scarves, a parachute, or dancing. Research indicates that it is an activity that stimulates all areas of the brain. In addition, music is an activity that works particularly well in a multi-aged group.
Give Me Five Program: My home lies in the boundaries of school district U-46. In the fall of 2013, my district implemented a new program aimed at young children called Give Me Five. (www.u-46.org/givemefive). With parental permission, a staff member from this program comes to my home to administer a standardized screening test for four year olds the fall preceding their kdg entrance. Using information from this assessment, any areas requiring extra attention can be found and attended to during this final pre-school year. Thus far, children taking this assessment who are in my program have shown no areas needing extra remediation.
Outcome: Typically a child entering kindergarten from my care knows the names and sounds of the letters of the alphabet, is developing a sight word vocabulary, is able to solve math stories told to them (such as, there were five birds on the deck, three more came, now how many are there?), counts sets and orders numbers through 20 (often beyond), has an extensive spoken vocabulary including a number of “rare” words, and is starting to be able to print the response to simple written questions. Equally important as the cognitive skills, are the social skills such as being able to pay attention, follow directions, and interact with peers and adults in a respectful manner.
Literacy: Learning to read and write is actually a process that children begin in infancy when they first become aware of sounds and the world around them. Children in my care are read to, talked to, and played with from infancy onward. As children continue to grow and develop, music and rhyme, continued experience with books and language, and activities involving the ABCs are incorporated into the program. By the time a child leaves for kdg, s/he generally associates the letters with the consonant sound they make and is beginning to establish a sight word vocabulary.
A children's librarian from Poplar Creek Library visits my home monthly for story time, bringing with her a large bag of books each visit which the children delight in. This is addition to the many books that are available to the children from my own collection.
Science: Because of the natural curiosity of children, science is very appropriate to incorporate in a program for young children. There are a number of things we do which come under the category of “natural science.” For example, the children and I grow a garden together. We also feed the birds and enjoy watching them. Two of the highlights of our year are raising monarch butterflies and tapping the maple tree out front to make syrup. The other strand is “experimental science.” We do child-sized experiments employing scientific method appropriate for young children. “I wonder what will happen if….” Or “ can you think of any way we could make this ball of clay float? Let’s try our ideas and find out.”
Health: At mealtimes, the conversation at the table is frequently about what the food we are eating does for our bodies. Hand washing is an important part of our routine, as is active play to encourage fitness and healthy hearts. Since rest is important for healthy, growing bodies as well as to provide energy and promote a positive mood, nap time is part of the routine here.
Social Studies: Much of what I do with the children regarding social studies falls under the category of learning the values of our culture. I plan activities that require cooperation. I am also alert throughout the day for opportunities that may arise that would allow us to practice these values. I begin actively teaching problem solving once a child is three, hopefully encouraging the ability to see things from another point of view as I do so. I am always looking for ways to give the children opportunities to practice kindness, good manners, respect, responsibility and honesty. As opportunities arise, I also involve the children in activities that foster thoughtfulness and generosity to others in the community.
Another aspect of social studies involved in my program include learning about jobs that different people within the community perform. Children are also generally quite interested in the machines we see in our community, trucks, train, airplanes, etc.
Math: As is the case with all the curriculum areas mentioned, opportunities for developing mathematical thinking are woven into our day. Examples would be activities requiring the recognition and making of patterns, shapes, serration, comparisons, classifying, and matching and counting activities.
Arts and Crafts: Time spent on crafts and process art give children the opportunity for self-expression and problem solving while developing strength and coordination in their hands needed for later school skills such as writing. Plus, things like painting, gluing, cutting, using crayons, pen and paper, stringing, hole punching, etc are just plain fun.
Music: Music is an important aspect of our time together, it is woven throughout the curriculum from the thankful song before meals to bi-annual visits from a harpist. We enjoys songs, rhymes, rhythm instruments, CDs of favorite children's musicians, and stringed instruments such as a ukulele, lap harp, and my guitar. Music is great to move to as well, with scarves, a parachute, or dancing. Research indicates that it is an activity that stimulates all areas of the brain. In addition, music is an activity that works particularly well in a multi-aged group.
Give Me Five Program: My home lies in the boundaries of school district U-46. In the fall of 2013, my district implemented a new program aimed at young children called Give Me Five. (www.u-46.org/givemefive). With parental permission, a staff member from this program comes to my home to administer a standardized screening test for four year olds the fall preceding their kdg entrance. Using information from this assessment, any areas requiring extra attention can be found and attended to during this final pre-school year. Thus far, children taking this assessment who are in my program have shown no areas needing extra remediation.
Outcome: Typically a child entering kindergarten from my care knows the names and sounds of the letters of the alphabet, is developing a sight word vocabulary, is able to solve math stories told to them (such as, there were five birds on the deck, three more came, now how many are there?), counts sets and orders numbers through 20 (often beyond), has an extensive spoken vocabulary including a number of “rare” words, and is starting to be able to print the response to simple written questions. Equally important as the cognitive skills, are the social skills such as being able to pay attention, follow directions, and interact with peers and adults in a respectful manner.