Curriculum

Sequence of Classes

Chai (“Life”): Starts at 6 weeks

Garin (“Seeds”): Age varies; children are ideally walking or very mobile

Kee Tov (“It is Good”) Age group: near/around 18 months – 24 months plus depending on birthday

Tov (“Good”) Age group: near/around 2 years old by July 31

Chalutzim (“Pioneers”) Age group: near/around 2 ½ years old by July 31

Chaverim (“Friends”) Age group: 3 years old by July 31

Shalom (“Peace”) Age group: 4 years old by July 31

Curriculum

At the Saul Spielberg Early Childhood Center the curriculum is thoughtfully planned, challenging, engaging, developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically responsive, and promotes positive outcomes for all children.

• Children are active and engaged
• Goals are clear and shared by all
• Curriculum is research based
• Valued content is learned through investigation and focused, intentional teaching
• Curriculum builds on prior learning and experiences
• Curriculum is comprehensive in scope and sequence
• Missouri standards validate curriculum’s subject-matter content

Research concerning early literacy has had a significant impact on the approaches we use to teach in our early childhood program. The theory of early literacy developed through research from such diverse fields as child development, psychology, education, linguistics and sociology. Early literacy envelops the thought that the development of early reading takes place within the child. Literacy refers to the interrelatedness of language – speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The concept of early literacy encompasses the following features:

• Learning to read and write begins very early in life.
• Reading and writing develop concurrently in young children.
• Literacy develops from real life situations – authentic reading and writing experiences are embedded in play for a meaningful purpose.
• Children learn to read and write through active engagement.
• Being read to plays a special role in the development of the young child.
• Learning to read and write is a developmental process. Children pass through the stages in a variety of ways and at different ages.

When the environment presents books, paper, and pencil activities for young children, it is found that they display a natural affinity for them. Activities are open ended so that children may build upon the knowledge already acquired. This point of view assumes that when a child arrives at school he already knows a great deal about language and literacy. The role of the teacher in the print rich classroom becomes one of setting up the environment to support self-generated, self-motivated and self-regulated learning. The early literacy educational approach is consistent with best practices recommended by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and other guidelines for the developmentally based programs