Crossroads Child Development Center

Preschool Curriculum

The Preschool years are a significant part of your child’s development. Children will develop greatly in their physical, cognitive, social, and emotional areas. The curriculum offers hands-on experiences designed to stimulate curiosity, enthusiasm and a love of learning. A wide variety of materials and activities are provided for the children to meet their individual needs and interests for development. Learning to work with others, while developing greater independence is a major part of a child’s development. Our comprehensive curriculum was developed to provide the optimal learning experience for your child. Our Preschool Program utilizes this as an introduction to learning academic concepts.

Language Arts

The Language Arts Unit creates a literature-rich environment that will build an interest and excitement towards a love of literature. It will strengthen comprehension, inquiry, and writing skills. A different book, poem, rhyme, or song is read daily and is based on a particular theme. Our language arts discussions and journal writings are based upon what is read that day.

In addition to sharing books and thoughts we have “Show-n-Share” weekly. The children have the opportunity to talk about something special while others practice listening skills. The class has the opportunity to respond and ask questions. We also have a program called “Daily News”. A different child is chosen each morning to share a story or something they would like to say to the class. Others can again respond and ask questions.

Reading

The Reading Unit provides the children with the motivation to learn to read along with a love for the written word. They will develop phonemic awareness and word knowledge while recognizing the letters of the alphabet and their sounds to prepare them for their introduction into reading. The children will continue work with the letter through letter writing practice. They will also be exposed to Sight Words, which are necessary for fluent reading. Each child will have a weekly alphabet and sight word book that they will read with their class. They will experience shared, guided, and independent reading. During the Reading Unit a Word Wall will be displayed in the classroom for the children to identify previously learned words and help with independent writing.

Mathematics

The children will learn math concepts by manipulating objects in their environment. They will engage in skills that include collecting, counting, building, comparing, and classifying. Throughout the Math Unit the children will enrich their problem solving and reasoning skills. They will develop number sense, make mathematical connections and think creatively.

Science

Each Science Unit will be integrated with literature and include field trips to provide hands on experience. Teachers have special guests come to our school to share their experiences with respect to some of the units as well. The children will conduct simple science experiments that allow them to make observations, predictions, descriptions, and ask questions to draw conclusions as they explore scientific topics. The children will further their exploration with a weekly Science Lab that ties with their Science Unit.

Social Studies

In each Social Studies Unit the children will explore and learn about themselves, their families, and their peers. They will recognize themselves as an individual and part of a whole group with a special place in the world. The children will interact with other children their age and learn how to make choices. “Who should I play with?” and “What center should I play at?” are daily decisions they make. The children will recognize school rules and realize that when they are followed, they will be able to interact with their peers without conflict. Literature is integrated into each Social Studies topic along with field trips to enrich thoughts and discussion. They will gain an appreciation of cultural differences and gain a strong sense of community. Throughout the year, there will be an exploration of special days and holidays that groups celebrate. The children will work independently, in small groups, and with the whole class. Throughout their exploration they will use factual content, skills, experiences, perspectives, and values.

Spanish

We at CrossRoads Child Development Center feel that due to the increasing bilingual population, an introduction to Spanish encourages an appreciation and understanding about this culture. Spanish Units include learning basic Spanish words and phrases daily. Daily exposure to the language will also help develop the confidence of learning a foreign language. The Spanish Units are linked to the ongoing curriculum when appropriate. The children will have a weekly Spanish class that ties with the curriculum.

American Sign Language

Children express and communicate in different ways. CrossRoads offers another form in which they can learn to express themselves using American Sign Language. The children will have an American Sign Language class once a week. During this time they learn signs that tie with their lessons that week, along with learning how to sign songs and play games using American Sign Language.

Music

The children will experience music on a daily basis. The children are encouraged to discover the music within them. Fine and gross motor skills are practiced by utilizing a variety of manipulatives and equipment. The children will express their own ideas and emotions through musical movement, gesture, speech, and song. Once a week the children will participate in two focused music classes. One class will further the children’s exploration of the week’s themes. The second music class is a Christian music class that ties with their weekly Bible lesson.

Physical Education

Through daily movement and physical activities we support the children’s physical growth and development. The children learn how to play together while participating in structured lessons and developing teamwork. The children will also participate in a focused Physical Education class once a week.

Art

The children express their feelings, emotions, and thoughts through daily art projects and activities. More formally, children have an art lesson once a week. They will use a wide range of art media and techniques to create expressive artwork. A special emphasis is placed on strengthening individual skills and encouraging the children to be more independent in their creative endeavors. Art projects are often tied to the classroom curriculum. The children also have a focused art lesson through a weekly Art class.

Bible

The children will learn and understand that God loves them daily. Once a week the children will have a Bible lesson during their Chapel time. There are two portions of the Bible curriculum throughout the year, The Old Testament and The New Testament. The Old Testament Unit introduces the children to God’s greatness and plan. The New Testament Unit guides children to become Jesus’ friends.