Normandale Preschool

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Curriculum

The Curriculum at Normandale Preschool is based on the Early Childhood Indicators of Progress: Minnesota Early Learning Standards. These standards act as a guide for teachers when planning their curriculum content. Incorporated into our standards based curriculum teachers model and teach the principles of Christian faith.

The Early Childhood Indicators of Progress are divided into six domains that reflect the full range of child development as recommended by national guidelines (Minnesota Department of Education, Early Childhood Standards):

1. Social Emotional
2. Approaches to Learning
3. Language and Literacy
4. Creativity and the Arts
5. Cognitive Development
6. Physical and Motor Development

Faith Based Curriculum O Come Let Us Worship by Mary Fetter

Classes at Normandale Preschool

All domains of learning are incorporated into the classroom setting. An example of how parts of one specific domain would look can be found in each class description.

Young 3’s Class: (33 month – age 3) 2.5 hours, 2 days a week

• Days: Monday and Friday
• Time: 9:00-11:30
• Domain: Social Emotional

Social and emotional development is particularly important for our youngest students. To assist students in their development teachers establish warm and caring relationships. They provide a physical environment that includes schedules and routines that promote self-control and stability for children. Teachers model appropriate verbal and non-verbal conflict management strategies and provide opportunities for students to understand and discuss their feelings and those of others. Children learn through play. Teachers design intentional play opportunities that will promote interaction and learning.

3’s Classes: Options include 2.5 hours or 3 hours, 3 days a week

• Days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
• Time: 9:00-11:30 or 12:30-3:00
• Domain: Language and Literacy

While continuing to work on social and emotional skills, teachers encourage children to express their thoughts and feelings. They discuss sequencing and timing (past, present, future as well as relationships) Time is provided for children to have individual conversations with both adults and children to increase language skills. Teachers talk about a variety of topics and illustrate ways to use language to ask questions, give answers, make statements, share ideas or use pretend fantasy or word play. They build on children’s interests by introducing new vocabulary and ideas. Teachers help children increase both their spoken and written language abilities.

4’s Classes: Options include 2.5 hours or 3 hours, 3 days a week

• Days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
• Time: 9:00-12:00 or 12:30-3:00
• Domain: Creativity and the Arts

Teachers provide opportunities for exploring and experimenting with a variety of materials and media. We love to explore space and objects as well as color, balance and design. Teachers describe, discuss and accept the process as well as the product of the children’s activities with creativity and the arts. They encourage awareness and appreciation of the arts and creative expression from a variety of cultures. Teachers help children develop an appreciation for the arts by attending a theatre performance and through play.

4’s Classes: 3 hours, 4 days a week

• Days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
• Time: 9:00-12:00 or 12:15-3:15
• Domain: Cognitive Development

Teachers provide opportunities for children to explore numbers, measurement and patterns through developmentally appropriate play and learning. They offer opportunities for children to count, group, and order materials. Students discuss sequence of daily and special events and are provided opportunities to experience and describe time as found in the seasons as well as daily and weekly events. Children share information on observations pictorially and verbally and through representations. They observe nature and make predictions about natural events. Teachers encourage and provide materials for a variety of sensory experiences.

4- 5’s Class: 4 hours, 4 days a week (for children turning 5 by
November 1)

• Days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
• Time: 9:00-1:00
• Domain: Approaches to Learning

To facility the children’s curiosity, teachers share in their students’ excitement in discovery, exploration, and manipulation of items in their environment. They provide opportunities and time for children to explore a variety of activities and materials including those in the larger community environment. Teachers use a variety of instructional approaches, strategies, materials that appeal to both genders and to the full range of learning styles, cultures and ability levels of the children. They provide opportunities for children to try new activities and experiences. Teachers provide tasks in which the goal is trying different strategies or solutions rather than right or wrong answers. They model exploration and the use of a wide variety of familiar and new learning materials and activities encouraging children in their inventiveness in play and problem solving.