tabor hill nursery school

Curriculum

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE EDUCATION OF YOUNG CHILDREN GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICES
(This list is a summary of many pamphlets and books and is meant to be a general guideline for curriculum goals and practices.)

Children learn through play.
Hands-on learning is the most retained experience.
Learning starts with sensorimotor experiences and moves through non-sequential cycles of awareness, exploration, inquiry and utilization.
Learning is a developmental progression which may allow one area to lag while another is being developed. (Why are they always at the easel, blocks, writing center or dramatic play?)
This developmental progression is not always sequential, there is overlap and regression at some points.
Children are curious. Learning for children is an experience which involves their whole body and all five senses.
Learning involves all areas: physical, emotional, social and cognitive. Each area affects the other. Such as, hearing loss may affect speech patterns which may affect social awareness which may affect emotional growth.
Repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition in a variety of ways, materials and space is important.

LEARNING THROUGH PLAY SHOULD BE FUN, INTERESTING AND EXCITING!
Every time we teach a child something, we keep him from inventing it himself.

On the other hand, that which we allow him to discover for himself will remain with him visible for the rest of his life.
-- Jean Piaget

LEARNING THROUGH PLAY

A planned integrated curriculum helps the child to develop.
It invites learning. Learning centers allow each child to move around freely and to learn by doing.
Each child has the choice to change activities and to meet different groups of their peers.
They learn to work, to talk with others, and to solve problems.
Each child grows in confidence and self-respect.
The young child needs to explore the world around him, to grow in language, to organize his learning, to learn to work with others, to use his changing body.
Learning through play allows a child to: test and exercise their bodies, handle, taste, smell, observe, develop language skills, act out their experiences, resolve through play, share materials, problem solve, and cooperate with others.
Because learning through play is a hands on approach, children will retain these experiences. They will also have the opportunity to try it and try it again a number of different ways.

ART CURRICULUM GOALS:

Art activities should provide practice for eye-hand coordination, fine-motor control, stop-action movements, across-the-body coordination, palmer and pincer grasp. General art curriculum goals are listed below.

artistic expression
materials experimentation
eye-hand coordination
small-motor control
sensorimotor development
symbolic growth
use of wide variety of media/materials
creativity
have fun

TWO YEAR OLD CLASS GOALS

Children in this group need practice holding the brushes, crayons, markers, and large pencils. Scissors coordination also needs practice. All projects should be free form and open ended. The objectives are to give the child enough practice with the materials that they are able to begin moving from a whole fist hold to a fingers and thumb (pincer) grasp. The monthly art guidelines are:

the easel should be used at least 2 weeks per month
ONE painting project varying the type of brush used each month
ONE scissors project which requires a single slit on a thick line such as fringe for feathers, hair or jackets per month
ONE glue or paste project each month
ONE crayon/pencil/marker project. This includes any free form coloring.
ONE paper tearing project per month
ONE color per month with a color activity
color hunts
color matching
color snacks
color sorting

THREE YEAR OLD CLASS GOALS

Crayons, markers, stencils, scissors, and blank paper should be available at the drawing table. Playdough should be available at least two weeks out of each month.

daily easel activities
ONE glue/paste project per month
ONE scissors project which requires cutting on a thick straight line each month
ONE painting project which uses different types of brushes each month
ONE crayon/pencil/marker/chalk project each month
ONE tracing project using a large stencil on light colored paper each month
ONE paper tearing project per month
ONE color per month, introducing the color spectrum
ONE collage project per month (SEE PRE-K CLASS GOALS)

PRE-K CLASS GOALS

Crayons, markers, stencils, scissors, pencils, rulers, and blank paper should be available. Adhesives such as small glue bottles, glue sticks, or tape dispensers should also be accessible.

daily easel use
ONE glue or paste project per month
ONE scissors project which requires cutting on a curved line each month
ONE painting project using different kinds of brushes each month
ONE crayon, pencil, marker, chalk project per month
ONE paper tearing or folding project per month
ONE tracing project using a variety of stencils, sizes or objects.
ONE sculpture or collage project (This can include some type of dough, wood, paper products, food items, nature objects, etc. It can be theme related such as colors, textures, shapes, letters, numbers, or related to the overall theme of the month.
emphasis on color blends such as red + blue = purple

MATH AND SCIENCE GUIDELINES

Math and Science activities should involve all learning centers. There are many types of activities which involve the following goals in a whole language, hands on curriculum. These activities may involve characteristics of color, shape, size, length, capacity and mass. General Math and Science curriculum guidelines are listed below.

describing
ordering
classifying
size: small, medium, large
comparing
predicting

TWO YEAR OLD CLASS GOALS FOR MATH AND SCIENCE

Available on the art shelf and at various centers will be large and small stencils, measuring devices (measuring spoons, cups, tapes, etc.), magnifying glasses, and materials to examine and measure.

ONE cooking activity per month using a picture recipe chart
ONE integrated curriculum activity which involves comparisons
1. large and small light and dark smooth and rough
2. heavy and light long and short
3. quiet and loud high and low
ONE picture graph or chart per month which reflects the theme (This can be integrated into other activities. For example, on a unit of NEW FRIENDS, a chart/graph on hair or eye color.)
ONE Science activity to reflect the theme using either scales to weigh, tape to measure, or magnifiers to examine and observe with

THREE YEAR OLD CLASS GOALS FOR MATH AND SCIENCE

Available on the art shelf and at various centers will be large and small stencils, including numbers, measuring devices (measuring spoons, cups, tapes, etc.), magnifying glasses, and materials to examine and measure.

ONE cooking activity each month which reflects the theme using a picture recipe chart
ONE picture chart/graph activity each month which reflects the theme, in addition to the cooking activity
color and shape activities to reflect description, seriation, classification and comparison i.e. color or shape hunting, sorting, matching or comparing
ONE science center activity per month to reflect the theme using magnifiers, tape or scales
ONE color and shape per month
gradual 1:1 correspondence activities up to the number 10 and gradual number recognition activities spread throughout the year up to number 10

PRE-K CLASS GOALS FOR MATH AND SCIENCE

Available on the art shelf and at various centers will be large and small stencils, including numbers and some reflecting the theme, measuring devices (measuring spoons, cups, tapes, etc.), magnifying glasses, and materials to examine and measure.

ONE cooking activity each month related to the theme using picture chart
ONE theme related picture chart or graph in addition to the cooking chart
ONE Science center activity per month using measuring devices or magnifiers
color and number activities to reflect description, classification, comparison and seriation such as hunts, matching, sorting and comparing
ONE estimation activity per month corresponding to number, volume, mass, etc.
1:1 correspondence and number recognition up to 10
daily calendar activities with weather and temperature charts

LANGUAGE ARTS GENERAL GUIDELINES

Children will develop Language Arts skills through experience:

a large selection of books including pattern books and cumulative stories available to children at all times
separate selection of books that reflect the monthly themes
at least one story time as part of daily schedule
theme related songs and fingerplays as part of daily schedule
identification of children’s artwork with answers to the question "Tell me about your picture."
language experience dictation stories each month
labeling areas of the room with identifying names or pictures
regular use of felt board stories

TWO YEAR OLD CLASS GOALS FOR LANGUAGE ARTS

songs and fingerplays which involve repetition, counting, patterns, opposites and positions in space, etc. i.e. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on the Gate
ONE pattern book per month integrated into the curriculum and learning center areas

THREE YEAR OLD CLASS GOALS FOR LANGUAGE ARTS

ONE language experience dictation story related to the theme
ONE pattern book integrated into the learning centers and themes
songs and fingerplays involving repetition and patterns
weekly feltboard activities of either songs, stories or fingerplays

PRE-K CLASS GOALS FOR LANGUAGE ARTS

ONE dictation story or whole class experience story
weekly letter activities including art, word lists, rhyming, etc.
pattern books
songs and fingerplays
letter practice through stencils, tracing, sand, fingerpaints, etc.
ONE journal entry per week

GENERAL CHRISTIAN CURRICULUM GOALS

daily spoken or sung prayers
ONE Bible story per month with at least one follow up activity in either art, fingerplays, songs or dramatic play
stories and songs celebrating awareness of God’s presence in our lives

TABOR HILL NURSERY SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Approved and Adopted by The Nursery School Committee
Spring 1999