Educational Program
1. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
Knowledge of typical development within the early childhood age span provides a framework from which teachers prepare the learning environment and plan appropriate experiences. A well-planned program is one that considers age appropriateness, individual appropriateness and cultural appropriateness for all the children in the group.
- Guiding Principles
We operate based on the following principles which are key components of developmentally appropriate practice:
- Since each child is a unique person with an individual personality, learning style, strengths, needs, interests and family background, the education program must be inclusive and relationship based.
- There are predictable patterns and sequences of development and children go through them at their own individual rate.
- Skills in the social/emotional, language, physical and cognitive domains develop simultaneously, so the needs of the “whole child” must be addressed in the educational program, not just the child’s academic preparation or readiness for elementary school. Focusing on the “whole child” will lay the foundation for future academic success.
- Children “learn by doing”. This means they need many hands- on, concrete experiences with materials and phenomena, and the time to explore.
- Children gain new knowledge when they relate the things they already know to what they are trying to learn. This is meaningful learning.
- Children are motivated to learn when activities are related to topics of interest.
- Children are naturally curious about their physical and social worlds. But curiosity alone is not enough for children to develop skills and promote their understanding. For this, careful adult planning and guidance is essential.
- Parents/guardians are important to the success of the program as they provide support and information that helps staff plan experiences that are meaningful, relevant, and respectful for the children and their families
- Early Learning Standards
The state of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has developed a set of early learning standards that identify broad expectations for the critical knowledge and skills that children should learn between the ages of birth to first grade. Learning standards provide teachers guidance when developing a curriculum.
In addition to identifying developmental expectations and performance standards, the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (fifth edition) also provides:
- examples of developmental continuum that children pass through in each area,
- sample behaviors that might be expected at various developmental levels,
- strategies that adults can use to enhance the efforts of the children, and
- ideas for what programs can do to ensure children have the opportunities and experiences needed to meet development expectations
We have also found the book The Creative Curriculum6 by Diane Trister Dodge, Laura Colker & Cate Heroman to be a good resource for understanding the goals and objectives for children during their early years.
As children grow, they can demonstrate skills in increasingly complex and advanced ways. The teacher’s job is to be aware of the developmental continuums for children in the early years (birth-age 5), and the age at which certain skills are expected to be noticeable for typically developing children. Only then can teachers have appropriate expectations for what individuals will be capable of and create activity plans that are “developmentally appropriate.”
- A Relationship-Based Program
Research on attachment supports the importance of bonded relationships among adults and young children. The CDL recognizes that children and adults achieve their full potential in the context of relationships that are based on trust and respect. The following are some of the practices we have instituted to encourage the development of relationships:
- Low adult-to-child ratios & small group size.
The number of children per adult and the total size of the group have a direct impact on how much individual attention is received and how well the needs of the child can be met. At the CDL, we have small group sizes and lower staff-to-child ratios than required. The staffing and enrollment patterns include some single staffed classrooms and others with two lead teachers per room. Additional support staff are also available at key periods of the day to assist with daily routines and transitions.
- Primary teacher & attachment groups.
The goal is to limit the number of adults a child must interact with each day and to structure experiences so that it is easy for children to form meaningful relationships. We create smaller “attachment groups” by assigning children to a classroom teacher. Each “primary” gets to know the needs and interests of “their” children and families and individualize the program accordingly.7
- Secondary attachments & teamwork.
It is essential for children and families to have secondary relationships to fall back on when their primary teacher is absent. All classroom staff work together as a team, for the good of all children in the classroom and the program as a whole.
- Continuity of care.
Continuity of care provides an environment that keeps the child and primary teacher together for as long as possible, so that the child will not have to repeatedly form new relationships. Since research has shown continuity of care is most critical for infants and young toddlers, the teachers in these classrooms practice “looping”. This means a child entering the program in the infant room will stay with his primary teacher for the first two years. Then, when the child moves into the two-year-old room, the teacher loops back to the infant classroom and starts over with a new group of infants.8
- Respectful caregiving.
All children need caring attention to their emotional and physical comfort needs. Teachers must be especially sensitive and responsive to the needs of infants and young toddlers as they are in the early stages of trust development and secure attachments are critical. As children get older, they continue to need teachers who will listen to their ideas, respond to their ideas, and help them learn to think for themselves.
Social learning is an important part of children’s experiences. We understand that young children are just developing self-control and learning what behaviors are acceptable and not acceptable. Conflict situations, such as fights over toys, provide opportunities for children to problem-solve and learn pro-social skills. Teachers at the Child Development Lab use positive techniques when guiding children’s behavior; ones that build skills and develop the child’s positive self- esteem. For more information on positive guidance strategies refer to the Child Guidance policies and procedures.
- Responsive curricula.
The focus of responsive curricula is to provide for the individual needs, interests, and learning styles of each child. This is accomplished by providing children with close and responsive relationships; by designing safe, interesting and developmentally appropriate environments; by giving children the time to explore; and by interacting in ways that emotionally and intellectually support discovery and learning. Responsiveness starts with observing children, and then using information obtained to guide curriculum planning and interactions.
- Family-centered program.
Children’s family relations and culture are key parts of their mental and emotional health. Teachers develop partnerships with families to promote the child’s development. To develop relationships, teachers make the most of opportunities for discussion with families, both informal (at arrival and departure times) and scheduled (in the form of family/teacher conferences). Teachers also create a home-school partnership by trying to develop consistent practices, developing and maintaining open two-way communication systems, and encouraging family involvement including, but not limited to, incorporating a family's main language and supporting families to celebrate what is unique about themselves in the classroom.9
- Inclusive program.
We strive to create an atmosphere of acceptance and respect for diversity and varying abilities to best meet the needs of the children, families, and staff. Our classrooms and teaching practices are both anti-biased and culturally relevant. We encourage acceptance and positive attitudes to both similarities and differences in each other. We welcome all children, families, and staff regardless of ability, needs, background, culture, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, economic circumstances, racial identity, national origin, family structure, and age. Teachers review their classroom environments and curriculum to ensure that materials and activities are intentional in promoting a community that is diverse and inclusive. This includes incorporating the different languages that a child may speak in the classroom and teaching the class these languages. Anti- bias practices focus on helping children address their questions about similarities and differences and by directly addressing stereotypes and discriminatory behaviors. Teachers actively seek out and learn more about the traditions of individuals in our Child Development Lab community and incorporate them into the classroom, as much as possible.