Our Preschool Curriculum
The Belchertown Day School follows The Creative Curriculum
for the toddler and preschool classrooms. The Creative Curriculum
translates new research and theory from the field of early childhood
education into a practical, easy-to-understand approach to working with
children and their families. It is a comprehensive curriculum with a
clear organizational structure and a particular focus on interest areas.
The organizational structure components include: how children develop and
learn; the learning environment; what children learn; the teacher's role
and the family role. Interest areas apply the five components of the
curriculum into 11 areas:
Blocks, Dramatic Play, Toys & Games, Art, Library, Discovery, Sand &
Water, Music & Movement, Cooking, Computers, and Outdoors.The
Creative Curriculum provides teachers with a clear and concrete
way to apply child development and learning theories to their everyday
work with preschool children. Its underlying philosophy draws from widely
accepted research and theories of child development and learning. Among
the many benefits: Teachers are better able to meet the needs of children
with a broad range of abilities. Children with different learning
styles and needs are able to function together in a well-organized
environment. Expanded opportunities enable children to acquire knowledge
and understand concepts, and better relate to what they will learn in
elementary school. Children are excited about and challenged by what
they are learning. The curriculum helps teachers to focus on
building relationships, responsive care, routines and appropriate
practices. The children make discoveries and develop a sense of themselves
as competent learners and caring human beings.
Well beyond the basics, your child receives outstanding care and
education at the Belchertown Day School.
Toddler
Teddy Bears
The Teddy Bears is our toddler program serving our youngest children aged 15 months through
2 years 9 months. In this program, teachers focus on communication skills and language development as the
groundwork for social growth. We feel it is important for children to learn to understand
their feelings and personal needs, and to talk about them in some way. We believe that
even before children are communicating verbally, they are sensing attitudes and feeling
emotions that they want to understand. Listening to and acknowledging the feelings of young
children contributes to their emotional development. Language use and development is integrated
into all aspects of the program including cleanup, toileting and meals.
Curious
Kittens
The Curious Kittens is our young Preschool group serving 3's and young 4's.The primary focus
of this classroom is the development of social awareness and friendship. The three teachers
in the classroom work in a team teaching approach. The classroom offers sensory play, arts
and crafts, science and nature activities, dramatic play, small and large motor development
activities, singing and dancing. Language development occurs in the natural context of daily
communication and forming friendships. Our goal is to introduce your child to a social
environment where s/he can learn cooperation and participation in social groups through play
activities.
Foxes
The Foxes are the children in our pre-Kindergarten group who are 4 and 5, and have mastered
basic skills of social interaction. The focus in this classroom is on the design and completion
of projects in arts, crafts, multicultural exploration, science and discovery, and math.
Children work on projects individually and in small groups, led by one of the classroom's three
teachers. One of our main goals is to demonstrate how we can complete projects by working
together. Each child has a role, but all roles are important. Examples of this include the
creation of a bulletin board on volcanoes, a pretend florist shop, and outer space exploration
vehicle, and our flower and vegetable garden.
