Curriculum and Teaching Methods
Creative Curriculum
The Heights CDC has adopted the Creative Curriculum for teaching in our classrooms. The Creative Curriculum features studies, exciting and engaging firsthand explorations of topics that are relevant to children’s everyday experiences. The study approach is a method of integrating content learning through children’s in-depth investigations of a meaningful topic. Children raise questions about the topic, and through exploration and discovery they find answers to their questions. The hands-on experimental nature of studies taps into children’s natural curiosity, resulting in a learning environment that is both fun and intentional.
The focus areas are on literacy, math, science, social skills and the arts.
Teaching Methods
The primary method of teaching is hands-on, discovery and exploration through learning experiences where self-paced developmentally appropriate activities have been planned to help teach the topic of study. Teachers speak on the child’s level, tell/read stories, sing songs, pray and repeat relevant Bible ideas as they guide preschoolers to facilitate their learning.
Learning Centers in which these experiences are provided consist of:
Art
- Process is more important than product
- Develops creativity
- Expresses creativity
- Develops social skills
- Develops small motor muscle groups
Blocks
- Develops math skills
- Develops motor skills
- Learn to share
- Learn to work with others
Books / Writing
- Learn to love books
- Practice reading skills
- Recognize that letters have a sound and make a word
- Learn to problem solve
Dramatic Play
- Learn how to be mommy, daddy, teacher, doctor
- Develop language skills
- Develop social skills
- Lays a foundation for symbolic thinking
- Allows children to practice negotiation skills
Music / Movement
- Develop self expression
- Learn that anyone can sing – making a joyful noise to the Lord
- Experiment with instruments and sounds
- Develop rhythm through movement
- Gains understanding of the beauty of music
Science / Nature / Sensory
- Observe new things
- Make predictions
- Learn to connect the world God created
Manipulatives / Math / Puzzles
- Develop eye to hand coordination
- Learn to problem solve
- Learn matching, classify, sequencing and recognition
- Learn to work together and make choices (helping one another)
At the older preschool level, we stress pre-reading and pre-writing activities. Since young children learn best when they are actively involved in their own learning, our curriculum offers experiences that eliminate the excessive use of worksheets and dittos and incorporates the use of writing centers and word walls. We support a “print rich” whole language environment. Children are actively learning all day and the teacher facilitates throughout. Everything the child does at school has a learning purpose.
Children learn numerals and number concepts by counting and manipulating real objects, not by filling in workbook pages. Children learn letters and their sounds by using them in their names, signs, songs and many other activities that are engaging to them.
Our Goals For Your Child