Division I
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Ms. Baker, Mrs. Priest, Mrs. Horwedel
Early Childhood Education Early childhood education offers a unique opportunity for children. Knowledge learned today builds a foundation for all future learning. Children learn best and retain information longer when there is a relationship between the child and the subject matter. With this in mind, subjects taught in Division I must have an element that includes a way to touch, see, smell, hear, and manipulate in order to give the subject meaning. Learning is best when hand-on, experienced-based activities are used and it is the skill obtained rather than the content that is most important. In an effort to create lifelong learners, materials are chosen purposefully based on interest and appropriateness. Morning Direct Instruction During morning group time, children gather for direct instruction, both them-based and independent. Group time is an active learning experience that emphasizes hand-son connections to build cumulative knowledge and skills a variety of organizational and methodological approaches are used to provide the students with experiences linked to the goals and objectives. Reading, writing, problem solving, mathematical thinking, singing, dancing, cooperating, and experimenting with science are just a few of the activities we offer during this time. It is within this group that children learn the art of peer socialization, public speaking, attentive listening, and respecting others. Academic Support Academic support is any activity that supports the theme or concept that is being taught in direct instruction. At this time, the division I East students are sometimes divided into two smaller groups to individualize instruction that meets the needs of the children. While one group visits Ms. Baker in direct instruction, the other half visits Mrs. Priest. Outdoor Play and Large Motor The playground does more than just add the much needed space for physical movement children need. It can act as an extension of the classroom as well. Outdoor adventures offer children the opportunity to have unstructured play and plan and develop play scenarios with their peers. As children learn to organize games with friends, social and emotional skills are strengthened as they learn to cooperate, take turns, and use symbolic play. Physics and physical skills are also explored as children experiment with the movement and capabilities of their bodies as they run, jump, chase and frolic. Life Skills The life skill component
provides a solid foundation for the academic curriculum, is closely related to
intellectual growth, and addresses the developmental aspect of a child’s
development. Life skills help children learn how to take care of their physical
and emotional well being, cooperate with others, make appropriate decisions, and
give them the tools to accomplish their goals. The life skills curriculum
allows each child to reach his or her full developmental potential. Preparing
and participating in snacks, hand washing, lunch, rest time, personal needs, and
those many spontaneous moments all give way to opportunities to teach these life
skills. Exploratory Centers Exploratories Our exploratory centers in the classroom are purposefully designed to incorporate them-based curriculum, active problem solving solutions, independent exploration, descriptive and receptive communication, and hand-on experiences. Each area is planned with purposeful and meaningful activities and materials to support skills and them content. Exploratories are designed to allow children to teach themselves and others in ways that best represents their own individual learning style. Art Center: Art provides children with many opportunities to express creativity, observe cause and effect with a variety of mediums, increase small muscle development, establish eye-hand coordination, discover colors, shapes, sizes and textures and to formulate aesthetic appreciation and independent work skills. Math and Manipulative Center: Children express creativity with open-ended materials. They match, sort, sequence, seriate, and classify material by color, shape, size, and texture. They improve small muscle development, eye-and coordination, increase cognitive ability and inherit social skills such as taking turns, sharing materials, cooperating while creating, and joining in play activities. Problem solving and applying acquired information to a new context is exercised in this area. It is here that children begin to understand the concept of numbers and their meaning as it relates to real events and ideas. Library Center: Children develop reading readiness skills, build vocabulary, participate in conversation, and acquire conceptual development. They begin to identify roles and relationships as they pertain to character in stories, listen and participate as a member of a group, and enjoy listening and recreating narratives. The library area is the place children learn to be receptive to the written word and emergent literacy is the key component. Children’s literate acts emerge from their wealth of experience with oral language and their attempts to enter the rewarding world of print. The process of becoming literate is developmental. There is no reader or non-reader, but literacy development starts early and is ongoing on a continuum of increasing competence. Computer: Capitalizing upon the children’s fascination with computers makes it fun and interesting for them to familiarize themselves with components and how they work and develop concepts with variety of programs appropriate for their developmental level. Word processing allows children to explore typing numbers and letters as well as investigate educational games. Science Center: Children explore, experiment, hypothesize, question, discover, and develop concepts using real objects. As discoveries are made, observations are written and connect the importance of literacy skills. Research shows that children learn best through their senses. At the tactile table, children develop sensory awareness with materials such as sand, water, beans, rice, flour, dirt, pasta or oatmeal. They explore and distinguish textures by sifting, pouring, comparing, measuring and experimenting with a variety of materials. This also develops math concepts, weights, and comparisons. Dramatic Play Center: Often the most popular center, this area encourages children to develop creative expression, vocabulary, imagination, role-playing, problem solving, social interaction, small muscle control, and eye-hand coordination. Children acquire ways to work through problems by reenacting real life experiences. Dramatic play offers safe and purposeful situations for children to rehearse life skills. Block Center: Designing and creating structures with the blocks helps children with muscle development, eye-hand coordination, conceptual development of size, number, shape, weight, width, and function of the block, and how to work cooperatively with others. Children learn to manipulate objects to create open-ended ideas and formulate problem-solving skills. It is in the block center that children initiate weights, measurements, and comparison. Unit blocks, Lincoln logs, cars, trucks, people, animals, and theme-related habitats are found in this area. Paper and writing material is readily available to add literary dimensions, implement street signs, or to record measurement amounts. Writing Center: The term emergent literacy is a better descriptor of this area. Writing does not wait for reading: the two are related, each influencing the other in the course of development. The primary role of this area is to introduce and support children’s experimentation with print. Print awareness depends on an environment rich in print. Children begin by scribbling and soon the drawings become more representational. Literacy learning proceeds naturally at this point as children construct their own knowledge into stories and print. Teachers assist children in developing reading and writing abilities by helping them produce narratives to go along with their pictures. Whether it is by modeling writing, encouraging print or spelling phonetically, children learn the power of the written word. This is an active process. Music and Movement: Children experiment with a variety of mediums to increase large motor
development. Cooperative games, dances, rhythms, and activities that promote
body movement are emphasized. Music is important to the overall atmosphere by
crating a vibrant environment of creative thinkers. Research suggests that
music may enhance intelligence, academic achievement, self-esteem, and improve
self-discipline. It is closely associated with the patterning necessary for
math skills. Journaling The term “emergent” emphasizes that reading and writing is a process. This phrase implies that there is no “right” age to begin reading or writing as much as it is a process that begins from birth. Reading and writing work collaboratively at this age in that writing is a form of reading and is often the easier of the two. Children begin to learn that print has meaning as their words are written down and others can read them back. Soon, the children will begin to “invent” their own spelling as the clear understanding of phonics emerges. Math and Science On a weekly basis, time has been set aside to offer specific instruction in math/science. Although these two concepts are experienced often during the course of the day in group and exploratory stations, these moments offer a direct, skill-based instruction in these two fields. Children enjoy estimations, predictions, patterns, problem-solving inquiries and spatial relationships. Specials Our specials schedule is
very unique to early childhood education in Colorado Springs. Renaissance
Academy offers children opportunities in Spanish, art, drama, computer
instruction and physical education on a daily basis. Children leave the class
during this time and enjoy the company of Ms. Carmenza, Mr. Larkey, and Mrs.
Ruth. Afternoon Group At the end of the day, Division I once again meets to enjoy activities together. Revisiting the events of the busy day, observing the calendar and the months of the year and days of the week, doing Alphabet Show and Tell, participating in movement and music activities, and cooperating in team assignments help children to feel a sense of community as they get ready to leave for the day. As we prepare to end our busy day, the children sing: Good-bye friends, good-bye friends, good-bye friends, it’s time to say so long. School is over, school is over, school is over, it’s time to end our day. We’ll be back tomorrow, we’ll be back tomorrow, we’ll be back tomorrow, to start a brand new day.
Differentiating, Individualization and Assessments Although learning center and groups are equal and homogeneous, each child has their own unique learning style and capabilities. During small group activities, each child has their own set of expectations depending on interest and ability. Throughout the day, anecdotal notes are taken to assess strengths and weaknesses. Activities are chosen and offered in the class to address any area of need. Children get individual attention as a planned or as a spontaneous moment as they develop new skills or need support in any developmental area. Assessments are reported on report cards four times a year based on developmental milestones and individual skill levels. Individual educational Narratives are drafted at the end of the second and fourth quarter to offer more information about your children’s progress both developmentally and academically.
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