Curriculum
Our curriculum is designed to provide developmentally appropriate, culturally sensitive experiences for children. At La Escuelita we begin with the understanding that young children:
- learn multiple languages best at an early age.
- learn through independent play, real-life experience and teacher directed activity.
- respond well to caring and attentive adults.
- feel secure when there is structure and predictability to their day.
Details of La Escuelita's preschool program include:
| Language of Instruction | |
Opportunities for Learning |
| Social and Emotional Learning | Themes | |
| Daily Activities | Separation | |
| Class Sizes | Assessment | |
| Prekindergarten Skills | Family Involvement |
When children are younger the classroom emphasis is on Spanish, since they will generally be exposed to English more frequently in their daily lives. Older children are taught in both English and Spanish. Both communication and academic language skills are incorporated into the curriculum so as to develop each child's ability to communicate in both languages as well as prepare them for English-only, Spanish-only or bilingual kindergarten classes.
2s and 2/3s classes are taught entirely in Spanish. When necessary, teachers use English to communicate with or comfort English-speaking children. 3s, 3/4s and 4s classes follow a 90/10 dual language model with communication in Spanish for 90 percent of the day and in English for the other 10 percent of the day. The English period is used for vocabulary enhancement and to reinforce concepts, including literacy, that were taught in Spanish.
Play is the primary way that young children explore and learn. Open ended materials such as blocks, sand, water and clay support children’s creativity. Teachers facilitate children’s play by helping them to develop language to describe and enhance what they are doing and to help them to work through problems they encounter.
Real life experiences also provide ample opportunities for learning; a genuine sense of accomplishment is felt by a child who helps a teacher prepare snack, takes attendance, or waters the classroom plants.
Teacher-led activities are also an important method of instruction. Learning to participate in a group, listen, and follow directions are important skills for young children first coming to school. Literacy and math skills, taught in both languages during small and large group lessons, are important for older children preparing for kindergarten.
Social and emotional learning is an important part of preschool. Children develop social and emotional skills through group lessons as well as individual interactions between children and teachers. Younger children will become aware of their emotions and the emotions of others, identify and talk about their feelings, express needs, and negotiate resolutions with classmates. As children become older, they will interact with classmates through cooperative play, learn to “read” the emotions of others, and work together to solve problems. By the time children enter kindergarten, they are fully prepared to discuss their needs, listen to the needs of others and work out resolutions with classmates independently.
The curriculum of each class is organized around content based themes, such as families, babies, the neighborhood, spring, pets, buses, restaurants, or water. Themes are chosen based on what is developmentally appropriate and what is of recent interest to the students and teachers in the class. Activities in each subject matter, including literacy, math, art, dramatic play, manipulatives, and music are integrated into these themes. For example, a class studying buses may:
- Read books about buses (Literacy)
- Dictate or write stories about trips they have taken on a bus (Literacy)
- Measure the length of a real bus (Math)
- Figure out different ways to make 2 dollars for a bus fare (Math)
- Count the people on a bus felt board (addition and subtraction as people get on and off the bus can be added for older children) (Math)
- Plan bus routes using a map (Math)
- Sing songs about buses (Music)
- Construct a collage with circles and rectangles (Art)
- Build metrocard sculptures (Art)
- Take a ride on a bus (Social Studies)
- Interview a bus driver (Social Studies)
Some of the daily activities that students will enjoy are:
Arrival- Children are greeted by a teacher, put away their belongings and find an activity. As children become older, they take responsibility for completing the arrival routine independently.
Centers- Children have the choice of working with blocks, art materials, dramatic play, woodworking, manipulatives, science materials, sand, water, music or books, or participating in teacher-led activities such as cooking.
Circle Time- Children gather to sing songs, read stories, and participate in group discussions and lessons.
Yoga, Dance, Soccer or Movement- Children are guided through activities to help develop balance, coordination, strength and flexibility.
Music- Children explore activities to help develop rhythm, pitch, tone and an appreciation for music and dance.
Snack- Children gather together for snack, stories, and conversation. Opportunities for lessons in math, science, or other subjects are incorporated into snack time.
Outdoor Time- Children play at a local park when weather allows.
The full day 4s class also enjoys:
Lunch- Children eat lunch, which they bring from home, and enjoy conversation with their friends. Opportunities for lessons in math, science, or other subjects are incorporated into lunchtime.
Rest Time- Students sleep or rest for a short time in the afternoon. Those students that do not sleep can look at books and then the participate in a small group activity.
Small Groups- Small group times provide opportunities for teacher-led instruction in literacy, math, social studies, science and other subjects.
Some children move to new situations easily and others need a more gradual approach. The child’s teacher works with families to guide them through the process. Caregivers should be prepared to be available as the child is learning to separate. To facilitate separation, the teacher will visit each child at home before school begins.
The 2s and 2/3s classes have a maximum of 11 children with one Head Teacher and two Assistant Teachers; the adult/child ratio is 1:3.
The 3s and 3/4s classes have a maximum of 16 children with one Head Teacher and two Assistant Teachers; the adult/child ratio is 1:5.
The 4s class has a maximum of 21 children with one Head Teacher and two Assistant Teachers; the adult/child ratio is 1:7.
Children’s progress is documented bi-annually through teacher observations in the following areas: communication skills, gross motor development, fine motor development, socialization, independent use of the classroom space, learning style, and for older children, academic skills. The results of this documentation are shared with parents. There are two parent-teacher conferences during the year.
Literacy and math skills are an important part of all of the classrooms but especially in the 3s, 3/4s and 4s classes. Literacy activities include looking at books and noticing the print, dictating stories, learning rhymes and chants, alphabet recognition, finding one's own name, reading basic sight words, and applying letter-sound skills to decoding words. As phonological awareness is one of the best predictors of reading ability, children engage in various activities everyday to enhance their ability to understand and manipulate the sounds of both English and Spanish. To develop mathematical thinking, activities such as looking at the daily calendar, noticing and creating patterns, sorting, sequencing, and counting take place daily. Opportunities for more advanced skills in all areas are provided for children who are ready.
A fundamental goal of La Escuelita is to help parents of all backgrounds, family compositions, and work schedules find ways to be included in their child’s school life. Examples include serving as a trip escort, visiting the class to share a special story or celebration, or providing photographs of a family trip to be shared. Parents are always welcome in the classroom. La Escuelita sponsors several social events throughout the year for families, both during school hours and in the evenings, such as the Carnaval celebration, Family Picnics, and events to conclude the classroom unit of study.
Teachers work with families to find the best methods of communication. Parent teacher conferences are held twice each year with additional conferences upon request. Other forms of communication throughout the year include written notes, telephone conversations, e-mail, or after hours visits.
To maintain Spanish and English language skills, both languages should be incorporated into the child’s home life as much as possible. Parents are provided with strategies for incorporating both languages, even if they do not speak both of the languages.