I. Social-Emotional Development
A. Teachers use the Responsive Classroom approach to include children in the creation of classroom routines and expectations.
B. Children create self portraits, family books, and birthday boardsthroughout the year to develop their sense of self and to learn about others’ perspectives.
C. Children take part in morning meetings, whole group, and small group activities which serve to build community and teach childrento respect themselves, each other, materials, and their environment.
D. Children’s work is documented and displayed in the classroom, in portfolios, and throughout the school community which helps them to develop a sense of competence and positive attitudes toward learning.
II. Physical Development
A. Children have opportunities to manipulate and work with varied materials which promote fine motor development.
1. Writing instruments
2. Collage materials
3. Clay and wire
4. Paint
5. Puzzles and games
6. Building materials such as blocks and Legos
B. Children have opportunities to develop gross motor skills.
1. Outdoor play
2. Music and movement activities
3. Yoga
III. Language Development
A. Children have opportunities to develop competence in verbal and nonverbal communication by participating in morning meetings and through conversations with teachers and peers.
B. Children are encouraged to communicate their needs, thoughts, and experiences and to describe experiences and events.
IV. Cognitive Development
A. Early Literacy
1. Reading and writing is modeled for children through classroom work, morning messages, shared story times, and documentation of student work.
2. Classrooms are filled with environmental print.
3. Classrooms are filled with books of many types and genres.
4. Children have daily journal writing experiences.
5. Children label their work and sign their name on charts and graphs.
6. Writing materials are available to children in all learning centers and areas.
7. Children are encouraged to express themselves through writing in the Message Center.
B. Early Mathematics
1. Children build number sense through daily work with various materials, including counting and sorting art supplies, natural materials, and building materials.
2. Children have many opportunities to identify and work with patterns and shapes.
3. Children learn about time in relation to their daily routines and schedules.
C. Science
1. Children learn about scientific concepts through the exploration of the outdoor environment and gardens and by participating in field trips on and off the school grounds.
a. Living and nonliving things
b. Life cycles
c. Structure and property of matter
d. Changing seasons
e. Weather
f. Light and shadow
2. Children are encouraged to use their five senses to observe, explore, and experiment within the classroom and outdoor environment.
3. Children learn about the structure and property of matter and the behavior of materials through cooking experiences.
4. Children are provided with simple tools for observing scientific phenomena.
a. magnifying glasses
b. microscopes
5. Children learn about the needs of plants and animals by caring for classroom plants and pets.
D. Technology
1. Children learn how to use cameras to help document their work.
2. Children learn how to use computers as tools for research, documentation and word processing.
E. Creative Expression and Appreciation for the Arts
1. Children have frequent practice with tools for artistic expression, such as scissors, glue, writing instruments, paint brushes, clay tools, etc.
2. Children are encouraged to use a variety of materials to express themselves through art.
3. Children participate in weekly music classes.
4. Children have many opportunities to explore rhythm while dancing and moving to music.
F. Health and Safety
1. Children learn about healthy food choices through their involvement in planting fruits and vegetables in the garden, their participation in daily snack preparation, and through their participation in the Early Sprouts program.
2. Children learn about the importance of rest, good nutrition, exercise, hand washing, and tooth brushing.
3. Children participate in daily exercise including outdoor play and/or gross motor play indoors and weekly yoga classes.
4. Children practice safety procedures, such as fire drills and reverse evacuation drills.
5. Children learn about the roles of our community members who protect our health and safety through classroom visits and field trips.
G. Social Studies
1. Children learn about their role in the classroom and school community through pariticipating in classroom chores and helping to develop rules and routines.
2. Children participate in field trips on and off school grounds to learn about the community in which they live.
a. Cranberry bog
b. Beech Hill Farm
c. Woods and fields
d. Local apple orchards and farms
e. Community Service Organizations
f. Hopkinton Town Library
3. Children learn about the importance of recycling and composting and how they can have a positive affect on their environment.
4. Children explore different roles of community members through dramatic play experiences.
5. Children have opportunities to build a foundation for understanding economic concepts through dramatic play.
a. Playing store
b. Playing restaurant
c. Sorting and counting money