At Zoo’n Around Preschool, we follow an Emergent Curriculum style. This style is based on the student’s interests and passions. Emergent Curriculum materializes from the adult and child’s interactions. Teachers look for teachable events and moments throughout the day. Planning an Emergent Curriculum requires a lot of observation, documentation and creative brainstorming on the teacher’s part. The curriculum style allows our teachers to be open and receptive to the children in our care.

 

Teachers closely monitor what the children are most interested in and build their curriculum based on the children’s interests and strengths through enriching experiences that encourages children to explore, examine, and challenge their learning.

 

The key is for teachers to be flexible, creative and patient with the children and to see the children as capable and adept learners. Our curriculum gives children the opportunity to make decisions, be creative, learn actively and solve problems. Our program is based on developmentally appropriate practices. We believe that children must be challenged, but not overwhelmed. We also believe that children learn best when they are having fun exploring letters, numbers, science and math.

 

 

GOALS OF EMERGENT CURRICULUM

The emergent curriculum requires our teachers, to support and guide learning as it emerges naturally inside the school, in the natural world, and in our community as a whole.

1. 1. To inspire delight, curiosity, celebration and inquiry in the classroom.
2. 2. To build intrinsic motivation and a long-term love of learning in children.
3. 3. To help children craft an internal compass to guide them as a learner, rather than relying on   instruction and direction from others.
4. 4. To support the varied learning styles (visual, auditory, sensory, verbal, etc.) in ways that are also aware of gender differences
5. 5. To carry out assessment in the form of student portfolios and documentation of learning.
6. 6. To inspire children to be authors, inventors, illustrators, designers, dancers, singers, actors, etc. and to celebrate their unique talents and abilities.
7. 7. To encourage consistent self-reflection and professional growth among teachers, so they may always improve the quality of classroom experience
8. 8. To maintain a teaching staff well-versed in the fundamentals of how and what children learn, so they can support and guide learning as it emerges naturally inside the school, in the natural world, and in our community as a whole.
9. 9. To allow the natural pace of individual and group learning to emerge, and not be guided exclusively by the clock.
10. 9.To create cooperation, partnership, resource-sharing and amiability between staff, students, parents and the community.
11. 10. To give children an organized environment in which to use all of their senses and faculties to learn.
12. 11. To recognize that critical learning takes place during conflict, negotiation, brainstorming and resolution.
13. 12. To provide adequate outside time daily.
14. 13. To honor and welcome children with special rights (aka special needs) into our school community.
15. 14. To practice supportive social learning rather than punishment.