Our Goals

CURRICULUM [NAEYC Standard 2]

At Saplings, A Forest & Nature Playschool, we use Emergent Curriculum. Both words in the phrase are important: Emergent stresses that planning needs to be based on the daily life and interests of children and adults in the program, and reminds us that spontaneity is important in early childhood settings. Curriculum conveys the message that teacher planning also exists in an early childhood setting. Both spontaneity and planning come together in Emergent Curriculum. 

Everyone at Saplings is a careful observer of young children. We understand developmentally appropriate practice and use this knowledge to create goals for each classroom. We take anecdotal notes and reflect together upon what we have een and what it means in terms of children's interests and learning. From our goals and observations, we are able to document children's growth and development, explore their interests in depth, enhance play to support children's interest, expand on children's developing ideas, and scaffold their prior knowledge or misunderstandings that exist on a particular topic. This information enables us to brainstorm directions for curriculum and plan specific activities. This type of planning is responsive to what children are interested in and to what they are exploring during play. Teachers use this information and their observations to build upon and develop plans that are rich in opportunities for children to further construct knowledge through exploration, field trips, visits from outside resource people, and hands-on experiences. 

What does Emergent Curriculum look like? 

Once a topic has been decided upon, the environment will change-- both physically and in terms of activities-- to support that topic. Activities will be designed that will cover areas of language, literacy, science and discovery, math, and fine and gross motor development. Some activities will occur during play and will be one of many choices for the child. Others will be introduced through small and/or large group activities. The exploration of a particular topic may take place over a few days, weeks, or in the case of a long-term project, months. The time frame depends upon the directions and tangents that the children and the curriculum take.

Children use their play to act out real life events. We provide opportunties for children to pretend in many areas. They may imitate what they see and care for baby dolls which teaches them to be caring and nurturing individuals. We provide the children with role models that are necessary to reenact life experiences in a positive, safe environment. For our littlest playschoolers, there may be a period of sensory exploration of certain textures, emptying, filling, carrying materials, and exploring new skills and movements, or objects in their world. 

The formation of relationships with others is a key element to our curriculum for all age groups. These relationships are the foundation to which children build their knowledge of social expectations, respect for individuals, and how to trush others in an effort to successfully explore their environment. 

How are learning and the curriculum documented?

Each group has a plan for the day. At the end of the day, the teacher reflects and tracks what went well, what should be adapted and how the environment should be changed for the direction the learning is going. Teachers will share photographs of learning in action and text describing what is happening. These are exciting to look at and read, and you may find areas where you, as family, can contribute to the curriculum. Families are encouraged to read these on-going threads of interest and share their experiences from home in an effort to co-create meaningful and relevant curriculum for each child. 

What are the goals and outcomes for each classroom?

Each classroom has specific age appropriate goals that are used as a tolld to guide children's learning and development. These goals are aligned throughout the program, based on appropriate expectations and individual growth patterns, to ensure that children are developing to their full potential. 

Does kindergarten use an emergent curriculum?

In short, yes and no. The kindergarten program is unique in that it combines academics aligned with the State Standards while staying true to our program philosophy of emergent curriculum. 

OUR GOALS

• Empower children in the natural environment

• Provide sensory exploration for children to utilize all five senses

• Introduce language through songs, stories, and dramatic play

• Encourage family involvement to help children appreciate the wisdom of their first teachers and to encourage families to support and empower their natural, capable learners

• Embrace diversity of all living things and celebrate individuality of children and families

• Cultivate social skills and positive self-image through group play and cooperative learning across ages

• Promote individual experiences and group sharing and help children learn to be learners 

• Provide hands on activities to develop children's problem solving skills, and cognitive growth

• Support healthy risk-taking and encourage independence, confidence, spatial awareness, and critical thinking

SAY please, thank you, I'm sorry

DO respect, learn, grow

MAKE peace, friends, mistakes

GIVE praise, love, second chances

BE yourself, happy, kind

Saplings will provide guidance through child initiatives and interests:

• Exploration of our living environment through observation, interaction, experimentation, and inquiry.

• Ample free-play time for reflection and integration of learning through creative and imaginative play.

• Vigorous physical activity and inclusion of children in purposeful work. 

• A strong nurturing aspect modeling compassion and empathy