Our Curriculum is designed to achieve specific learning goals and objectives.
With those educational goals and objectives in mind, teachers select from daily activities suited to enhance growth and school readiness for our early learners.
The Fireflies activities are built around seven developmental domains, Social/ Emotional Development, Approaches to Learning, Language/Literacy, Creative Arts, Physical Development/Health, Science, and Math.
SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Self Concept
SE1 recognizes similarities and differences between self and others: gender, cultural identity, self and family characteristics
SE2 develops positive self image: awareness of self as having certain abilities, preferences, characteristics
SE3 demonstrates increasing self-direction, independence, and control
SE4 follows simple rules and routines
SE5 shows interest and respect for work of self and others
SE6 chooses new as well as familiar activities
SE7 cleans up own work/play space independently
Relationships
SE8 uses play to explore and practice social roles and relationships
SE9 interacts comfortably with familiar adults
SE10 begins to participate as a member of a group: takes turns and shares, sustains interaction by helping, cooperating, expressing interest
SE11 interacts with one or more children; develops special friendships
SE12 participates in group song, dance, acting-role play
SE13 able to resolve some conflicts, uses constructive language
SE14 seeks help or information when needed from adults
Emotional Development
SE15 recognizes and describes own emotions
SE16 manages feelings appropriately
SE17 explores emotions through play, art, music, dance
SE18 shows empathy and caring to others, respond to others emotions
Communities
SE19 awareness of diverse backgrounds, cultural/global knowledge
SE20 understands family roles, relationships, rules, jobs
SE21 some knowledge of technology and media
SE22 can tell functions of some community helpers, parent’s jobs, careers
SE23 awareness of community rules, governance
SE24 describes characteristics of things in the
environment: home, school, park, community
SE25 awareness of caring for the environment
APPROACHES TO LEARNING
Imagination
AL1 is creative, flexible, and inventive in play experiences
AL2 takes on various roles in make-believe play uses new
AL3 strategies to solve problems
Curiosity
AL4 shows a willingness to participate, is eager to join play events
AL5 demonstrates inquisitiveness about subjects and objects
Persistence
AL6 is not easily discouraged, seeks help to over come problems
AL7 works at a task despite distractions or interruptions
AL8 is able to complete a task or stay engaged
Reflection
AL9 observes or contemplates and applies that knowledge to a new situation
AL10 generates ideas, suggestions
AL11 makes a plan before beginning a task
Risk-Taking
AL12 welcomes new experiences, situations, play events, materials, friends
LANGUAGE/LITERACY
Listening
L1 follows 2 and 3 step directions of increasing complexity
L2 gains meaning by listening to stories, directions, conversations
L3 understands verbal and non-verbal cues
L4 listens and recognizes sounds in rhymes and words
Conversation
L5 expresses needs, wants, thoughts through non-verbal gestures, (exposed to sign language), progressing to verbal cues in English or their home language
L6 child speaks clearly (is understood by both familiar and unfamiliar adults)
L7 initiates asking questions and responds in conversation with others
L8 shares opinions, experiences, and ideas with others with words
L9 uses verbal and nonverbal conversational rules (takes turns, eye contact, loud and soft voice as appropriate, etc.)
L10 exposed to Spanish language
Vocabulary
L11 understands words and meanings: points to or names body parts, matches or names colors, matches or names basic shapes, correctly uses time words and phrases, says name/address
L12 understands quantitative concepts (by pointing to pictures or using words depicting little/big, short/tall, slow/fast, thin/fat, less/more, empty/full, few/many, heavy/light, shallow/deep, narrow/wide)
L13 understands directions/positional concepts (by pointing to pictures or using words depicting go/stop,
far/near/up/down, over/ under, out/in)
L14 vocabulary is rapidly expanding
L15 connects phrases and sentences to build ideas
L16 speaks in sentences using grammar that is age-appropriate
L17 knows and sings songs
Emergent Reading
L18 interest/motivation in reading: following along as a book is read, attempting to read by looking at illustrations, handling books appropriately, actively chooses books
L19 understands text read aloud: recalling part or most of a story or representing it with play or media, asking and answering questions about stories read aloud
L20 age-appropriate phonological awareness: can combine syllables to make a word, combine words to make compound words, recognizes words that rhyme, associates sounds with letters and words, recognizes matching sounds
L21 alphabetic knowledge: can recite the alphabet, names or recognizes some letters and sounds – especially their own name, recognizes and names most letters
L22 understands left to right, top to bottom process of reading
Emergent Writing
L23 interested in written expression: scribbling, drawing a person
L24 is aware of the uses and functions of symbols and print to convey meaning
L25 is aware that a word is made up of letters
L26 beginning to copy or write own name
L27 age-appropriate writing: tracing, copying letters and numbers, copying shapes and symbols
L28 understands structure: beginning, middle, end of a story
CREATIVE ARTS
Art Expression
A1 uses a variety of art materials for exploration
A2 is able to create something unique from other children: creative, imaginative work
A3 appreciates artistic creations of others and art events
A4 shares opinions about likes and dislikes of art and other creative expression
Music
A5 participates in group music
A6 experiences explores with sound, melody, tone, rhythm, beat
A7 uses and shows interest in a variety of musical instruments for expression
Creative movement
A8 participates in creative movement and dance
A9 is able to design original movements and interpretations
Dramatic Play
A10 participates in creative dramatic play and make believe
A11 is able to play cooperatively with other children
A12 utilizes props to enhance play environment
A13 develops new ideas and role play situations by using imagination
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT/HEALTH
Fine Motor
PD1 strength and control: folding and creasing paper, building with small blocks, manipulating play dough and clay
PD2 eye-hand coordination: strings beads, completes puzzles, sews through holes in lacing cards, ties knots and loops, tears paper, uses eating utensils, uses a keyboard
PD3 uses scissors to cut shapes from paper
PD4 beginnings control of writing, drawing, art tools, art/craft mediums
Gross Motor
PD5 balance and control: walking forward, back ward, heel-to-toe, on tiptoe and on a straight
line, walking on a balance board, hopping on one foot, jumping with two feet
PD6 coordinates movement: walking up and down stairs, running smoothly, kicking a ball, throwing a ball, bouncing and catching a ball, skipping, clapping
PD7 develop strength, flexibility, and stamina through play and by using equipment
Self Care
PD8 undresses or dresses self other than help with difficult fasteners
PD9 increasing knowledge of healthy eating, good nutrition: tries new foods, willing to eat well-balanced diet, interested in various tastes, colors, and textures of food
PD10 washes hands and face without assistance
PD11 brushes teeth independently
PD12 uses tissue for nose, napkin for hand/face appropriately, independently
PD13 cares for toileting needs independently
PD14 participates in a variety of physical activities
PD15 follows basic safety and health rules
PD16 demonstrates visual and auditory ability and general good health and sleep habits to enable learning
SCIENCE
Observation
S1 explores materials and makes observations, predictions based on information gathered from the senses
S2 makes observations of living vs. non living things, nature, environment, weather by physical characteristics
S3 makes predictions based on past experiences and observations
S4 is aware of concepts of time/sequence of events: past, present, and future especially as they relate to sequence of routines such as bedtime, lunchtime, morning, night, etc.
Questioning
S5 asks why, where, when, how, what and seeks answers through exploration
Investigation
S6 classifies objects by function
S7 uses tools such as scale, magnifier, bug catcher, map, binoculars for investigation
S8 uses “if/then” and “cause/effect” reasoning
S9 makes comparisons among objects and groups
S10 solves problems by making a plan of 1-3 actions and following through with it
MATH
Numbers
M1 rote counting and sequencing of numbers
M2 recognizes both numerals and number names
M3 understands and uses 1-1 correspondence
M4 counts and builds sets
M5 compares quantities in sets and uses appropriate vocabulary: equal, more, less
M6 understands adding and subtracting from a set
M7 begins to understand dividing sets into parts up to fourths
M8 understands and uses ordinal terms (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
Patterns
M9 match or sort by color, size, shape, texture: classifies by attributes, makes comparisons
M10 recognize patterns: can tell “what comes next?”
M11 duplicate simple patterns, then extends and creates patterns
M12 identify pattern groups (red/yellow, kitten/puppy)
M13 seriate a group of like objects (small, medium, large, or light, medium, dark)
Measurement
M14 understands, compares and analyzes
quantities of length, height, weight, time, or amount between two or more groups
M15 use tools such as a ruler or scale
M16 develops growing abilities to collect, describe, and record information through a variety of means such as discussion, maps, charts, or graphs
Geometry
M17 identifies basic shapes
M18 understands that shapes remain the same when flipped, rotated
M19 understands symmetry
M20 can recognize some three dimensional shapes: cone, cylinder, pyramid etc.
Spatial Relations
M21 understands and uses positional words: up, down, below, inside, outside, top, bottom, in front,
behind, beside, etc
M22 can describe position from different perspectives: “I am, you are”
M23 can use simple directions to move from place to place: obstacle course, directional games, hopscotch
Reasoning
M24 use simple strategies to solve mathematical problems
M25 experiments with puzzles and blocks to create solutions, build structures or move through a process to reach a goal
Please contact us today to take the first step to exceptional quality care by scheduling a visit to Bright Beginnings Day School with Sarah.
