Early Childhood Division Curriculum Overview

Our ECD curriculum was developed by our own Early Childhood Educators based on sound developmental practice, the NAIS Principles of Good Practice, experience, our Lower School curriculum, research and the understanding that our population of students come to school ready to learn.

The curriculum is skill driven. Units of study are the vehicles through which these skills are taught and developed. It is the particular set of skills, which make children ready to be successful in school.

Each classroom boasts spacious areas housing blocks, writing centers, libraries, dramatic play, easels, sensory tables, manipulatives, and much more. Hands on materials are used to teach and assess children in all curricular areas. Students are taught to work in multiple settings and use a variety of senses to learn the information presented. Young students learn through play. Our students are given the opportunity to build, pretend and create as well as develop phonetic and phonemic awareness, build math skills through the use of manipulatives, and refine their writing process. There is a genuine understanding that the process or journey is of great importance. The open-ended activities presented to our students challenge all levels of learners.

The continuity of curriculum between and among levels within this division enables students to be successful and productive Independence Students. As a student progresses through this division, he/she has increased exposure to group lessons, multi-step tasks, and independent work. Our teachers and curriculum encourage independence and self-reliance. Opportunities abound for learning to be a part of group life, problem solving, conflict resolution and the fostering of peer relationships. Although taught to be a part of a group, children are viewed as individuals with unique gifts, needs, and talents.

Early Childhood I (ECI) Curriculum  

The primary goal of ECI is for the children to be able to separate from the home environment and to function effectively as a member of a group within the classroom. A lengthened attention span and beginning organizational skills are also expected by the end of the year. Exploratory experiences with a large variety of media and learning materials pave the way for more deliberate skill development in the following months. A sense of independence, a beginning awareness of attention to detail, and a broadened base of concepts, information, and language skills are fostered through a structured preschool program. Content is heavily integrated within all curriculum areas.

The children are provided with many opportunities to choose from a wide variety of materials, activities, and equipment. During much of the program, the children will be able to work individually or in small informal groups. They will be provided with concrete learning activities focusing on materials and people relevant to their own life experiences. Ample opportunities will be given to learn and apply skills in a meaningful context. ECI students attend music class once a cycle with our general music teacher.

Each child is viewed as a unique person possessing individual patterns of growth, development, learning styles, interests, and abilities. Adult interactions and implementation of the curriculum are responsive to these differences. Activities and interactions are designed to develop both the children’s self-esteem and positive feelings toward learning.

Early Childhood II (ECII) Curriculum  

The ECII curriculum is designed to foster growth in autonomy, initiative, and confidence. Many activities are structured to develop the ability to make choices with an increasing awareness of factors such as time available, interests, proximity, etc. A more highly verbal approach to peer problem solving is encouraged along with practice in making compromises. Opportunities for increasing development of fine motor skills lead to improved self-help skills and increased control of drawing and writing materials.

Content is highly focused on reading readiness. Attention is increasingly drawn to listening to sounds in words, beginning to relate them to appropriate letters, rhyming, and concepts of print. Quantitative activities, usually with real objects, also relate to the letters studied primarily using quantities through twenty. Small and large group, as well as individual choice activities, foster a lengthened attention span and increased impulse control. Creative variety of content, often student contributed, yields a broad base of experiences and a rapidly expanding vocabulary. Art is added to the co-curricular classes our ECII students attend each cycle. Awareness of a broader world is facilitated by hands-on classroom explorations, cooking experiences, on-site demonstrations and field trips.

Kindergarten Curriculum  

The Kindergarten classroom environment is designed to foster learning through a variety of experiences. Continuous assessment of the child’s progress and needs in both social and cognitive areas allows the planning of activities and materials to target present learning levels. Independent work increases throughout the school year as does group instruction. Large group work often includes daily edits and literature based lessons. Complexity of questioning increases to challenge students to move from concrete concepts and predictions to more inferential thought processes. Classrooms are language-rich and support the students as they transform into readers and writers.

Children are assessed according to reading ability and placed in leveled reading groups. These groups are fluid and ever changing according to individual and group needs. Weekly homework is given to establish routine and develop responsibility and organizational skills. Physical Education and Library are added to the co-curricular classes our kindergarten students attend each cycle.

To ease transition into our first grade, many opportunities are given for Kindergarten students to interact with first grade teachers. Several visits occur throughout the school year, as kindergarten students buddy up with a first grade friend. Kindergarten students are given many responsibilities as the leaders of the Early Childhood Division. Such opportunities give the students confidence and a can do attitude making the transition to first grade even more successful.