St. Andrew Early Learning

Preschool & Childcare

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The Creative Curriculum®

St. Andrew Early Learning uses The Creative Curriculum®, which helps teachers organize their classrooms into interest areas and allows for them to plan for adaptations to ensure the curriculum is accessible for all children. We strive to include all aspects of the family home to which the children we serve belong to throughout our daily curriculum planning and implementation. Our curriculum and assessment forms align with the “Early Childhood Indicators of Progress” which allow for us to use our assessments to individualize curriculum when needed. The core belief of The Creative Curriculum® is that all children can learn and benefit from developmentally appropriate practices and content.

 

Theory and Research Behind The Creative Curriculum®

The Creative Curriculum® uses “Developmentally Appropriate Practice”, which means teaching in ways that match the way children develop and learn so as to promote optimal development and learning. As early childhood professionals, we at St. Andrew Early Learning will use this framework to make decisions about the children we serve on the basis of:

  1. Child development and how children learn
  2. The individual strengths, needs, and interests of each child
  3. The cultures of each child’s family and community

 

Five Fundamental Principals

  1. Positive interactions and relationships with adults provide a critical foundation for successful learning.
  2. Social-emotional competence is a significant factor in school success.
  3. Constructive, purposeful play supports essential learning.
  4. The physical environment affects the type and quality of learning interactions.
  5. Teacher-family partnerships promote development and learning.

 

Christian Curriculum

St. Andrew Early Learning uses Chapel Time and St. Andrew curriculum for our Christian Curriculum. Our Christian Curriculum will focus on the following areas of development:

  1. Social & Emotional Growth—Encourages respect for self and others through kindness, fairness, cooperation and sharing. Also encourages self-control, independence, trust, empathy and self-expression.
  2. Spiritual Growth—Nourishes fruits of spirit: love, joy, peace, patience and faithfulness. Also includes respect, thankfulness, prayerfulness, meditation, stewardship and making choices.
  3. A monthly chapel time will be conducted by St. Andrew Lutheran Church staff that has been trained in faith formation and Christian education.