Child Care Curriculum
The teaching staff plans hands-on activities in a variety of centers that have curriculum goals embedded into them. The following centers – and the goals for each – can be found in each of our classrooms.
Art Center
- Become aware of their own creativity as they participate in art activities
- Understand the world that God created for them as they experiment with many different materials and tools
- Build their self-confidence as the make decisions and implement ideas
- Become familiar with and learn colors and shapes as they discover interesting ways to use different materials
- Have fun as they engage in the process of art exploration
Language and Literacy Center
- Value one’s own culture and heritage
- Experience a print-rich environment
- Employ active listening skills in a variety of situations (e.g., following directions)
- Participate in nonverbal communication through gesture, pantomime and facial expression
- Engage in conversation by sharing ideas with others
- Use spoken English appropriately in a variety of situations
- Develop and use appropriate vocabulary to express meaning intended in spoken interactions
- Respond to various language functions (e.g., greetings, directions, requests, giving information, seeking information)
- Respect differences in behavior and expressions of others
Writing Center
- Grow in their knowledge and love of a print-rich environment
- Learn the importance of written communication
- Appreciate the writing of others
- Develop fine-motor skills through their own written accomplishments
- Become familiar with written ways to express oneself
- Become familiar with phonetics and know the alphabet
- Become knowledgeable and familiar with God’s written word – the Bible
Science and Math Center
- Use the senses to gain information about objects from the environment emphasizing color, texture, taste, odor, sound, size, shape, direction, motion, heat/cold, and sink/float
- Draw conclusions and predict outcomes based on experience
- Repeat and create simple pattern using concrete objects
- Explore basic concepts of weight, mass, and volume through water play, sand play and cooking
- Develop critical thinking and problem solving skills as they sort, compare, categorize, and classify the many materials they have to work with
- Become aware of the use of numbers in their world
Manipulative Center
- Develop hand-eye and small motor coordination, as they use materials in the center
- Develops social skills as they interact with one another
- Learn to think and reason, resulting in a sense of achievement
- Construct, classify and compare similarities and differences of a variety of objects
- Explore positional relationships such as in, on and under
- Match objects in one-to-one correspondence
- Develop critical thinking and problem solving skills that pave the way for future learning
- Learn about the world they live in and understand that everything we have comes from God
Block Center
- Develop problem solving skills as they construct with blocks
- Expand their expressive language as they verbalize about building, constructing and creating
- Learn to cooperate and accept the work of others
- Organize their world using symbolic representatives in block play
- Develop math skills as they plan and construct structures from many different types of blocks
Sensory Center
- Enlighten and refine their senses as they discriminate between the material they use each day
- Participate in the activities that will enhance their sensory abilities
- Refine vocabulary skills as they discuss the senses they are using in the center
- Become sensitive and aware to the sounds and texture of their environment
- Create lasting memories as they learn through using all their senses
- See the world that God created for them with thanksgiving, awe and wonder
Dramatic Play
- Expand their oral language and socialization skills as they talk about activities they are engaged in
- Increase and sustain the ability to concentrate and follow directions
- Develop a positive self-image by cooperating interaction with others, while becoming aware of their own capabilities
- Begin to understand the needs and responsibilities of others
- Develop individual and group creativity
- Grow in faith as they become aware that Jesus is with them any and everywhere
Jesus Time and Chapel
- Know and feel the love Jesus has for them
- Know that Jesus is their best friend
- Sing praises to God
- Have an opportunity to worship in a group
- Communicate with God
- Develop listening skills
- Experience worship with most of their senses
