Curriculum

   Infants (6 weeks - 12 months           Pre-Kindergarten (4 years - 5 years)

   Explorer (12 - 24 months)                Enrichment Activities

   Toddler (2 years - 3 years)               Intergenerational Activities

   Preschool (3 years - 4 years)

        FRIENDS LEARNING TOGETHER

Infant, Explorer, Toddler, Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten Program Experiences

Infants (6 weeks - 12 months)   (back to top)

     Our developmentally appropriate infant room is warm and homelike to help children feel comfortable and secure.  The role of the caregivers is to meet infants' needs promptly, consistently and lovingly in response to individual routines.  Caregivers will hold and rock infants and allow them frequent opportunities to play on the floor or in a large protected crawling area.

     Infants will be encouraged to use their senses and their rapidly growing physical and cognition skills to explore the environment.  Infants will have spaces to be less active, spaces to crawl and creep, and experience the environment from different levels.

   Infants will have the following materials for their program experiences:  Small squeeze toys, teething toys, washable texture books, plastic balls, large soft blocks, busy boxes, shape sorters, plastic containers for water play, push and pull toys, and daily musical and language enrichment.  Pictures, mobiles and mirrors are placed at their eye level.

      In addition, infants will also enjoy the outdoors in an area designed for their gross motor development.  They will have opportunities to swing, crawl, safely view their surroundings, and occasionally enjoy an outdoor feeding on the bench.  Strollers will be available for local walks.

Explorer (12 months - 24 months)   (back to top)

     This age group is mobile and therefore their daily experiences will tend to be more active and varied than the infants.

     They will seat themselves in a small chair and participate in small group activities.  Examples include: knob puzzles, finger painting, block play, crayons and markers, play dough, self-feeding routines, and lots of texture/sensorial activities.

     Explorers will have opportunities to climb and ride on small indoor toys. They will have a place to look at books and be read to.  Explorers will participate in music/movement activities and simple role-play.  They will have props to use such as hats, pocketbooks, baby dolls, and "pretend food" for imaginative play.  The room will be equipped with an indoor climber for active play.

     Outdoor experiences will be separated from the older children on a playground designed for their height and special interests.  The safety surfacing installed is a protective measure for outdoor injuries, since mobile infants are frequently losing their balance and tripping.  Explorers will rest on cots, eat their lunch together and participate in self-care routines.

Toddler (2 years - 3 years)  (Back to top)

      The Toddler program is designed to provide a balance of activities to accommodate their conflicting needs for security and independence.  Toddlers will be allowed to make simple choices and encouraged to do things for themselves, yet caregivers will be supportive and in tune to times when children need help or direction.

      The environment is set up with several small, clearly defined, interest areas where 2 or 3 toddlers can engage in activities such as water/sand play, finger painting, block building, puzzles, manipulative materials, an easel, puppets, markers and crayons, music/listening and imitative play.  Toddlers can access toys on low, open shelves labeled with pictures and words to cue storage and clean up.  Multiples of popular toys will be provided so children won’t have to wait too long to use their favorite items.  The play space arrangement is flexible to accommodate the toddler’s need to move about and develop their large motor skills.  Music, exercise, balance beam, bean-bag-toss, and an indoor climber is available to the children on a daily basis.

      The toddler classroom also has a quiet area where children can go for solitary time, to read a book, or rest for a few minutes on a comfortable cushion or pillow. 

     Toddlers follow a daily schedule that includes eating meals together, napping at the same time and spending time outdoors on the toddler-size playground.  Some toddlers will be in the process of learning to control their elimination functions.  A diapering area is available for those in transition.

Preschool (3 years – 4 years)  (back to top)

      Friends Learning Together, Fairview Child Development Center supports the philosophy that curriculum is the framework that guides adults in creating an environment, in planning appropriate activities, and in facilitating children’s growth.  Curriculum planning is flexible and responsive to emergent needs of the children, and therefore can occur after the child displays and interest, or is in the process of mastering a new skill.  The following provides a foundation for preschool curriculum planning:

• Learning will be interactive.  Children will have opportunities to work independently with materials of their choice, they may choose to work parallel to others or to join small groups of children.

• Activities will help achieve social, emotional, physical and cognitive goals with an integrated approach.

• Activities will be meaningful and relevant to the children.  They will build on and expand the child’s current knowledge, abilities and life experiences.

• Activities will foster exploration and inquiry.

• Children will be encouraged to learn through trial and error, to experiment, and to gain confidence in their skills with time and practice.

• A child’s physiological needs will be respected by providing an age appropriate balance of activities, i.e. indoor/outdoor, quiet/active, teacher-directed/child-directed, creative and open-ended/academic and structured, problem solving/following directions.

• Children will be encouraged to make meaningful choices, initiate their own activities, and to use their imagination.  We want children to become self-regulated and self-reliant, yet secure enough to ask for help and accept direction when needed.

• Exercise and practicing good hygiene skills will be part of every child’s daily experience.

• The classroom will be divided into learning centers to provide daily experiences with language enrichment, writing, listening, building, pretend play, sensory/tactile tables, music, art, science, problem solving and block building.

Pre-Kindergarten (4 years – 5 years)  (back to top)

• Learning will be interactive.  Children will have opportunities to work independently with materials of their choice, they may choose to work parallel to others or join small groups of children.

• Activities will be meaningful and relevant to the children.  They will build on and challenge the child’s current knowledge, abilities and life experiences.

• Teachers will focus their efforts on obtaining specific goals in all skill areas.  The environment will be more structured and geared toward school readiness.

• Children will be encouraged to make meaningful choices, initiate their own activities, and to use their imagination.  We want children to become self-regulated and self-reliant, yet secure enough to ask for help when needed.

• Children will be expected to be more responsible for their actions and show empathy toward others.  They will participate in keeping their environment clean and neat.

• Exercise and practicing good hygiene skills will be part of every child’s daily experience.

• The classroom will be divided into learning centers to provide daily experiences with language enrichment, writing, listening building, pretend play, sensory/tactile tables, music, art, science, problem solving and block building.

 Enrichment Activities  (back to top)

     Special enrichment activities (e.g., Kinder-music, moon-bounce, karate) will be brought into the center to supplement our program.  Parents/Guardians will be notified in advance and be made aware of any additional fees.  No child will be left out of these special activities.  The Parent Committee will sponsor children whose parents/guardians need assistance with these fees.

Intergenerational Activities  (back to top)

     Intergenerational experiences will be planned with the Odd Fellows Home nursing care facility and Fellowship Manor Assisted Living Facility. 

Children will walk to the nursing home and/or assisted living facility for these activities.  Occasionally, residents will come to the center for an activity.

Email: odd_fellows_conn@sbcglobal.net