How We Teach – Preschool

Scottsdale Academy utilizes the Creative Curriculum® and supplements one lesson a week from a character development curriculum such as the Kindness Curriculum® or the I Love You Rituals®. The Creative Curriculum® is based on age appropriate goals and objectives that are embedded in early childhood development lesson plans with weekly engaging theme-based activities. Each month a calendar is distributed indicating our “themes or units” by week. We highlight two activities/events per week in each class on our parent calendar to give a sampling of the fun filled curriculum planned.

In every classroom there are two full time teachers that work in a co-teacher atmosphere where both are responsible for lesson development. Lesson plans are prepared and turned into the Director for review every Thursday for the following week. Lesson plans are checked to insure age appropriate activities are implemented while reflecting our curriculum.

In the preschool classrooms, two major components of each day include:

Circle Time:

Circle time incorporates a discussion of the weekly theme, an introduction to the calendar focusing on the day of the week, month and year, and an overview of the day’s activities to help prepare for transitions. The students are encouraged to participate in discussions and reflections during this time as well. Children are engaged in auditory learning throughout circle time. Each individual child is always encouraged to interact amongst his or her peers and teachers as part of our early childhood development objectives.

Center Time:

Center time allows students to enhance their socialization and creativity skills. There are seven basic centers strategically arranged to engage children in learning and accessible each day. These centers are Home-living, Construction, Art, Handwriting/Language, Reading, Manipulatives, and Sensory. Each center focuses on increasing fine motor skills, critical thinking skills, hand-eye coordination, and one-to-one correspondence.

Refer to the Daily Curriculum sheet examples for samplings of a full day of early childhood development lessons and fun-filled learning activities.

All preschool curriculum components are presented in a way that Children Love to Learn.