Learning Philosophy and Curriculum
UKids - Presidents Circle is dedicated to providing a safe, supportive, challenging
and holistic learning environment for young children and their families. The philosophy
of the Center is a learning model based on play. The overriding goal is for children
to feel enthusiastic about learning, to be interested, curious, and happy as they
learn, and to be deeply involved in new and challenging experiences. UKids - Presidents Circle provides an environment where children feel safe and are encouraged to explore not
only materials, but also their relationships with peers and adults. We believe that
children learn through hands on play experiences and thrive emotionally, socially,
physically, and cognitively when they are actively engaged with their environment
and each other. Creative Curriculum, a developmental approach to learning, provides
the foundation for daily activity planning, implementation and evaluation. A health
and wellness curriculum is implemented for children who attend after 4:30pm, but will
not be formally assessed.
At UKids - Presidents Circle we utilize the Creative Curriculum approach set forth by Teaching Strategies. This curriculum model is based on research that children learn best through hands-on
exploration with people and materials. Sound a lot like playing? It is playing! Children
need to use all their senses – especially that of touch – in order to truly learn
about their world. The Creative Curriculum sets the foundation by providing information
about:
- developmental milestones
- setting up the environment
- choosing appropriate materials
- planning engaging activities
- assessing children's development
- sharing information with parents
The teachers first observe each individual child, documenting developmental goals they have reached as well as those they have yet to reach. These observations show the teachers what developmental objectives to work on the following week.
The teachers also observe what the children are interested in: Are the 1 year olds gravitating toward the balls? Are the 2 year olds stacking and knocking down blocks all day long? Are the 3 year olds experimenting with their large muscles and how their bodies can move? Are the 4-5 year olds creating dramatic play scenarios in which they take a trip to the moon? These observations help the teachers decide on a topic to study for the following few weeks. The study topic – based on the children's interests – serves as a vehicle in which knowledge and skills are delivered.
Each semester we take great care to ensure the curriculum each week is developmentally appropriate for and of interest to our current group of children.
The Creative Curriculum Objectives for Development and Learning are based on 9 areas:
- Social-Emotional
- Physical
- Language
- Cognitive
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Science and Technology
- The Arts
Each of these areas is broken down into more specific developmental milestones along a continuum from birth-kindergarten. The objectives are listed on the weekly curriculum sheets, as well as posted in each classroom.
Our program utilizes Teaching Strategies GOLD, which includes the Creative Curriculum, but is online for ease of access to parents. Parents can access their child's online portfolio to see what their child is working on while at school. Teachers are also able to better communicate with parents to ensure that we are doing everything we can to support your child's learning. Once your child is enrolled, teachers will invite parents to create a login account with Teaching Strategies GOLD. Once an account is created, you can view your child's portfolio any time.
The teachers observe the children each day they attend and take anecdotal notes as new skills are developed. Anecdotal notes are entered into Teaching Strategies GOLD where the teachers will determine the needs of individual children as well as the group.
*Assessments are completed for children who attend during day time hours. Children who attend in the evenings will not receive a formal assessment, but staff are always available to discuss children's progress.