Social and Emotional Development and Social Studies

As children interact with adults and peers, they work towards developing and sustaining social relationships.  Children are supported in practicing the skills of cooperation, negotiation, problem solving and learn to appreciate the needs and feelings of others. Children are also supported towards self concept and self-independence by being given opportunities to make choices, express themselves as individuals and by being provided with classroom structure and routines that support independence.  

The curriculum fosters an appreciation for individual, cultural and racial diversity as well as differences in families.  We are fortunate to be a school with a diverse population and welcome and embrace differences.

Because we are a community school, children also learn a great deal about their neighborhood, respect for the environment, community workers, and other aspects of their immediate community, through numerous local field trips and interaction with “experts” in the neighborhood.  Children extend the learning through dramatic play and literacy experiences in the classroom.  Within these contexts children are also exposed concepts of geography, economics and history.  By connecting our curriculum with the community, our children make strong connections with the community in which they are growing up.  They are beginning their role as responsible community members.

Mathematics

Opportunities for mathematical learning exist throughout the curriculum.  We provide functional experiences for counting, sorting, measuring, patterning, size and shape relationships and graphing.  Block play, use of manipulative materials, puzzles and the rhythm and patterns of music support children's mathematical development.    As they keep track seasonal changes and classroom events, children begin to learn about temporal concepts.

Language Development, Communication and Literacy

Children are provided with ample and varied opportunities to talk and listen.  Opportunities to share information, ask questions, describe experiences and converse with peers and adults abound during the school day.   All activities are planned to allow for communication– be it by working together in the block area, dramatic play area, during a math game or circle time discussion.  Teacher  actively engage students through conversation and questioning that support conversation and thinking. Doing so supports, increases and expands  children’s vocabularies. 

Children have ample and varied opportunities to engage with print and symbols through literature and informational text, charts, art, during dramatic play and with poetry and songs. These opportunities are woven throughout the day and may relate to the themes or topics of study or may be specific to an individual child’s interest.  Teachers provide a wealth of exposure to children’s literature for appreciation and enjoyment during whole group read aloud and small group reading time.  Books and charts are available in many centers of the room in addition to the classroom library.
 
Children have opportunity to play with language and experience phonemic awareness through rhymes, music, literature that supports playfulness with language. They begin to recognize and identify letters and their sounds in meaningful ways at age appropriate times.     

Writing/drawing opportunities are available to children during every work time.  Children are provided with many opportunities to see how reading and writing are useful: by drawing, dictating stories, making classroom charts, making class books and reading pictorial recipe charts during cooking activities.

Art

Through the use of collage, paint, clay and multiple other art materials and media, children are given opportunities to experiment and express individuality and creativity through a process oriented approach.  Children use creative arts to represent what they know, feel and think.   We believe art is a form of literacy and communication.

Active Physical Play

Outdoor activity is planned daily so children can develop large muscle skills, learn about outdoor environments, and express themselves freely and loudly.  Children have daily opportunities to use large muscles, including running, jumping and balancing. Children in our full day programs enjoy two outdoor times each day. During inclement weather the children utilize our “big room” and indoor gross motor space for these activities. 

Science

Children learn by doing, not by being told.  The curriculum encourages learning through discovery, investigation, handling materials, asking questions, making predictions and developing generalizations both inside and outside the classroom.  The children gain firsthand experience with nature through the care and observation of the environment, plants and classroom pets.  In addition to the experiences in our classrooms and parks, the school is involved with The Urban Park Ranger / The Natural Classroom Program, Friends of Van Cortlandt Park, The Cornell Cooperative Extension Embryology Program and a recent initiative to bring a composting area to the Amalgamated Park Reservoir Cooperatives. 

Cooking

Cooking is a strong component of the Nursery curriculum.  The children frequently prepare their own snacks. Teachers plan cooking activities that involve the children throughout the process.  By using hand tools that allow children to grate, chop, peel, stir, flip and blend ingredients, children learn they are capable and that ingredients change form. Engaging in cooking allows children to learn about nutrition and where products come from.  Cooking is also often used to share culture.  We encourage family involvement and cooking seems to be a wonderful welcome way for families to share their family traditions. 

Musical Experiences

Singing, movement and use of rhythm instruments make up the music program.  Opportunities to hear new sounds, create with voice or instruments, and to experiment rhythmically with the body are provided for the children.  Our Three Year Old and Universal Pre-Kindergarten classes participate in weekly Music and Movement Classes with a Music and Movement Specialist

Blockbuilding

Each classroom is well equipped with unit blocks, hollow blocks and a large block area. Block play is a daily activity.   Block play encompasses all aspects of curriculum.  Children are actively engaged in math, science, and social study exploration.  Children can work alone or work together which develops negotiation, sharing, problem solving and language skills.  Scheduling allows our full day UPK classes to have block building that is ongoing throughout the day or over the course of several days for extended the experience.