• The Seedling School

    Curriculum Framework

    Each child that comes to The Seedling School is given opportunities to explore, create and learn in a fun, safe and nurturing environment.  To make learning meaningful to children, they need to have time to master the many skills that will prepare them for the next level of education.

    Our thematic curriculum promotes high quality learning through engaging topics, and it is sequenced to provide a clear framework of progression in skills and knowledge to equip children for the next stage of their education.     Learning centers are provided along with circle time, songs and rhymes, class jobs.  Teachers plan specific activities to help children develop fine and gross motor skills which are essential to each stage of their academic and physical development. Open ended questions are asked to start the children’s critical thinking process. Children are given opportunities to refine their science, math and pre-reading skills with a variety of hands-on activities.  They are helped to become more independent, taught good hygiene routines and healthy eating habits.  Each classroom will check out books at the library, enjoy music class and participate in community meetings.  Children have outside time for free play, gardening, and large motor development activities. Art is presented as a form of self-expression and a vital part of child development. Children are listened to and respected.  It is important that each child feels successful and confident at school.

     

    Curriculum Framework 

    The school offers children daily opportunities to grow and learn many things important to their development. Children are being prepared for the next level of education through teacher- directed hands-on experiences and free-choice activities. Through this structured environment, children will master many of the following goals.

             

    Social Development

                       Participate in group activities

                       Take turns speaking

                       Take initiative in learning

                       Self-regulation

                       Play/work independently

                       Play/work cooperatively with others

                       Respect others

                       Show empathy and caring towards others

                       Learn to resolve conflict

    Cognitive Development

                       Follow directions

                       Participate in structured activities

                       Participate in circle time discussions

                       Listen to other’s comments

                       Understand cause and effect

    Physical Development

                       Participate in gross motor activities in class and outside

                       Participate in fine motor activities in class and outside

                       Demonstrate physical control

                       Enjoy physical challenges

                       Demonstrate good health habits

                       Manage own clothing/personal hygiene  

    Emotional Development

                       Transition from home to school easily

                       Enjoy the school environment

                       Appear self-confident

                       Identify and appropriately express emotions

    Literacy/Language Development/Reading Readiness

                       Participate in teacher-modeled writing activities

                       Attempt to write in uppercase and lowercase letters independently

                       Control writing implements

                       Print and copy letters

                       Print name

                       Recognize name

                       Identify alphabet letters

                       Identify sounds of alphabet letters

                       Link letters in printed words to sounds in printed and spoken words

                       Use various forms of media to communicate ideas (painting, drawing, writing)

                       Participate in oral language development

                       Speak in sentences

                       Describe work and dictates stories

                       Realize that stories have a beginning, middle and end

                       Enjoy books

                       Retell stories

                       Recite chants, rhymes, poetry, songs

    Social Studies

                       Geography: learning about their city, state, country

                       History

    Cultural Development

                       Exposure to:

                           -   a variety of languages

                           -   different holidays

                           -   cultural toys, books, instruments

    Math/Science Skills

                       Count to 50

                       Associate a number with the correct number of objects/one-to-one correspondence

                       Understand that symbols represent numerical objects

                       Recognize geometric shapes

                       Recognize colors

                       Sort, identify and classify objects by attributes

                       Understand patterning

                       Understand graphing

                       Understand ordinal numbers

                       Understand part-whole relationships

                       Understand volume/capacity

                       Understand measurement

                       Understand comparison

                       Explore through sensory, investigative techniques

                       Understand life cycle through plants and insects

     Creative Arts Skills

                       Enjoy learning songs

                       Participate actively with musical instruments

                       Participate in creative movement activities

                       Create unique art by experimenting with various types of media