Introduction into the Balboa Academy Preschool Curriculum 

Our preschool program helps prepare children for success in school and in life.  Findings from research on learning and the brain provide concrete evidence of how important the early years are in a child’s learning and development. These findings also show evidence of how and when children learn best. 

Our program, with the help of teachers and parents, help children acquire the skills, attitudes, and habits to do well in school and throughout life. The Balboa Academy staff is educated and supports the students in a caring and inviting environment that is safe and predictable. 

How the Preschool Child Learns 

Preschool children are learning all the time. They learn best by being active. Preschoolers are very curious about their world and ask many questions.     The Balboa Academy preschool program wants children to see themselves as inventors, problem solvers, discoverers, and capable learners.  Teachers encourage children thorough questioning techniques to enhance their thinking and answering skills. 

Our program helps children develop their natural curiosity. Teachers encourage children to observe, explore, take things apart, build, create, draw, and see what they can find out. The more active children are in their work, the more they learn and remember. 

The Goals of the Curriculum 

A primary goal of the curriculum is for children to acquire social skills. We want our students to become enthusiastic learners, independent, and self-confident.

Our preschool curriculum identifies four goals in the following areas of development:

-         social/emotional

-         physical

-         cognitive

-         language

We accomplish the goals of our curriculum through our daily plans, the children’s interest, the way we organize the classroom and select activities and materials to stimulate them to explore and enjoy their world. 

The Content Areas of Preschool  

According to the Creative Curriculum (2002), experts have defined that the content areas are what children need to know and be able to do at a certain age. In preschool to teach in the content areas means to respect the developmental stages of preschool children. At the Balboa Academy Preschool the content areas are taught and learned through the physical environment set up by the teachers. The physical environment allows for children to be good readers and writers, solve problems in math and science, be good citizens, appreciate the arts, and to use technology. The following content areas are taught:   

Literacy allows for:

Increased vocabulary and language; phonological awareness; knowledge of print; comprehension; letters and words; books and other text; literacy as a source of enjoyment.  

Math allows for:

Number concept; patterns and relationship; measurement; geometry and spatial sense; data collection, organization, and representation.  

Science allows for:

Physical science; life science; earth and the environment.  

Social Studies allows for:

Spaces and geography; people and how they live; people and the environment; people and the past.  

The Arts allows for:

Dance; music; drama; visual arts.  

Technology allows for:

Awareness of technology; basic operations and concepts; technology tools; people and technology. 

The Classroom  

The classroom environment offers developmental learning centers in order to meet the different levels of development of each child. Our classrooms are inviting, warm, and provide a safe and positive atmosphere where fun and learning are the order of the day.  

Balboa Academy Preschool bases the program through three components:  

• Setting up and maintaining the classroom.

The physical space is organized into 11 interest areas: blocks, dramatic play, art, library, discovery, sand and water, music and movement, manipulative, cooking, computers, and outdoors. Each interest area invites children to choose from a variety of activities and materials to explore, discover, and grow.

• Establishing a structure for each day.

The daily routines and schedules allow children to move around their environment in a flexible and positive way. With the assurance that their environment is predictable and familiar; children can settle into learning and function as a part of the group.  

• Creating a classroom community.

The classroom community it a vital component of the curriculum as it is where children need to feel safe, learn to help one another, and see themselves as part of a group. As teachers in the classroom community we teach children how to treat others and how they want to be treated. We establish rules and clear and consistent limits, so children learn what behavior is acceptable and what is not. Children learn how to solve their own problems and come up with solutions that benefit the group.  

How we know Children are Learning. 

The Balboa Academy Preschool program doesn’t require preschoolers to be tested. Tests are not reliable for their age group. As an alternative, teachers observe what children do and take notes. Each child has a portfolio consisting of collected samples of the child’s work (drawings, writings, photos of artwork, and/or photos of interaction with peers in the learning areas). Several times a year the information is gathered in school and shared with parents through conferences and e-mails. On a daily basis communication notebooks are used between home and school. The notebooks allow teachers to inform parents how their child is interacting in school. It is also used for parents to share with teachers any information they feel teachers need to know.  

The Importance of Social/Emotional Skills in Preschool 

Research shows that there is evidence that social/emotional readiness is critical to a successful kindergarten transition, early school success, and even later accomplishments in the workplace. Children that know how to make friends, can cooperate with others and can control their emotions are more likely to be successful in school and in life, than children that do not acquire these skills. 

A main objective for teachers at Balboa Academy is to focus on social/emotional development as a key readiness for a life time skill. Teachers model appropriate social skills by redirecting, encouraging children to use their words, and solve problems positively. Teachers support children decisions to experiment and find answers to their own questions.

PRESCHOOL PLAN

SY 2005/2006