Curriculum Overview

CDS Preschool Curriculum Goals: The curriculum encourages children to be actively involved in the learning process, to experience a variety of developmentally appropriate activities and materials and to pursue their own interest in the school life, the broader community and the world.

CDS Preschool Curriculum Rationale: The curriculum is not just the goals of the program and the planned activities but also the daily schedule, the availability and use of materials, transitions between activities and the way in which routine tasks of living are implemented. Criteria for curriculum implementation reflect the knowledge that young children learn through active manipulation of the environment and concrete experiences which contribute to concept development.

The Reggio Emilia Approach: The Preschool at CDS is child originated and teacher framed. Hailed as the world's best model of early childhood education (Newsweek, 1991), the Reggio Emilia approach to education creates conditions for learning that enhance and facilitate children's construction of "his or her own powers of thinking through the synthesis of all the expressive, communicative and cognitive knowledge" ( 1993). The Reggio approach gives children a very enriched and beautiful environment. The teachers listen to and observe the children and pose questions so they can research and learn new things. The approach requires children to be seen as competent, resourceful, imaginative and inventive and to possess a desire to interact and communicate with others. Our staff has trained in Italy and at numerous seminars around the U.S. . The Country Day school is the only Reggio Preschool in North Alabama.

2 1/2 through 5 year olds

Intellectual Development	Language development is enhanced through: verbally communicating and listening to others role playing and dramatic play listening to music and singing songs beginning to identify meaningful words - own name, etc. listening to tape-recorded stories along with the books making books and dictating stories for adults to write Math skills are being formed while children play. These activities involve: shapes, sizes, patterns, and sequencing sorting and categorizing counting and comparison measuring length and weight graphing Science concepts are developed by: observing seasonal changes related to weather, plant life, animal behavior, and activities of people sorting and categorizing items according to various properties hiking the trails to observe plant and animal life and collect bugs and other small creatures for temporary observation learning basic conservation of and respect for nature growing plants from seeds and bulbs and observing and caring for them discovering how magnets work Social studies concepts are introduced by: learning about similarities and differences in peers and their families exploring the community on field trips and learning about occupations sharing family traditions experiencing a variety of multi-cultural customs learning how people who have disabilities experience life role-playing about families and occupations
Creative Art	Art experiences emphasize the process rather than the product. Time, space, and the freedom to work independently help children increase their attention span, improve fine motor skills, have a successful emotional experience, and a sense of independence. Art activities include: drawing with crayons, pencils, chalk, markers painting with brushes, feathers, sponges printing with rubber stamps, potato shapes, utensils cutting and gluing sewing with plastic needles and yarn on various materials creating collages from any combination of fabrics, pictures, 3-dimensional items, etc.
Motor Skills	Play time uses open spaces and equipment to build large and small motor development with: climbers, trikes, wagons, bean bags balls to kick and throw, sand to scoop and pour bubbles, sidewalk chalk, painting at easel simple games and sport skills hiking and exploring the campus movement to music

Intellectual Development

Language development is enhanced through:

verbally communicating and listening to others
role playing and dramatic play
listening to music and singing songs
beginning to identify meaningful words - own name, etc.
listening to tape-recorded stories along with the books
making books and dictating stories for adults to write

Math skills are being formed while children play. These activities involve:

shapes, sizes, patterns, and sequencing
sorting and categorizing
counting and comparison
measuring length and weight
graphing

Science concepts are developed by:

observing seasonal changes related to weather, plant life, animal behavior, and activities of people
sorting and categorizing items according to various properties
hiking the trails to observe plant and animal life and collect bugs and other small creatures for temporary observation
learning basic conservation of and respect for nature
growing plants from seeds and bulbs and observing and caring for them
discovering how magnets work

Social studies concepts are introduced by:

learning about similarities and differences in peers and their families
exploring the community on field trips and learning about occupations
sharing family traditions
experiencing a variety of multi-cultural customs
learning how people who have disabilities experience life
role-playing about families and occupations

Creative Art

Art experiences emphasize the process rather than the product. Time, space, and the freedom to work independently help children increase their attention span, improve fine motor skills, have a successful emotional experience, and a sense of independence. Art activities include:

drawing with crayons, pencils, chalk, markers
painting with brushes, feathers, sponges
printing with rubber stamps, potato shapes, utensils
cutting and gluing
sewing with plastic needles and yarn on various materials
creating collages from any combination of fabrics, pictures, 3-dimensional items, etc.

Motor Skills

Play time uses open spaces and equipment to build large and small motor development with:

climbers, trikes, wagons, bean bags
balls to kick and throw, sand to scoop and pour
bubbles, sidewalk chalk, painting at easel
simple games and sport skills
hiking and exploring the campus
movement to music

Other capabilities are developed and integrated throughout the curriculum: Building self-esteem, Communication, Planning, Responsibility, Problem-solving, Participation, Following directions, Imagination, and Sharing are included.