CURRICULUM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
At Somerset teachers build the experiences (learning activities) they plan for the children and interact spontaneously with our children's wonderful ideas, and they are guided by a set of foundational objectives which are consistent with State and NAEYC objectives. Our teachers design daily learning activity plans with both the learning opportunities arising from our childrens observed interactions with materials and processes, and our foundational objectives in mind. This stable foundation and flexible implementation ensures that the childrens learning is developmentally appropriate and personally meaningful. While Somersets foundational objectives remain consistent over the years, the learning activities that different groups of children experience change based on the current needs and interests of our enrolled children.Language and Literacy Objectives Social/Emotional Objectives
Participating in sound play Developing self-esteem, sense of
Hearing rhyming words responsibility, and confidence in their ability
Reflecting stories Developing ability to make appropriate
Seeking book experiences choices and decisions
Retelling stories Building problem solving skills
Participating in print-related activities Using self management skills
Predicting events Developing social, moral and intellectual
Distinguishing letters and symbols reasoning skills
Recognizing letters in words Initiating social interactions and making
Identifying beginning sounds friends
(Pre-K and Enrichment) Developing self-control
Beginning to write letters Enjoying learning
(Pre-K and Enrichment)
Writing with Purpose (Enrichment)
Cognitive Objectives Large and Small Muscle Objectives
Practicing sorting, classifying, matching Controlling small muscles in hands
and sequencing skills Coordinating eye-hand coordination
Exploring cause and effect Using tools for writing and drawing
Counting objects and matching numerals Demonstrating basic loco motor skills
Comparing: more/less, bigger/smaller, etc. (running, jumping, hopping, galloping)
Practicing one to one correspondence Showing balance while moving
Seeking answers through active Demonstrating throwing, kicking, and
investigation catching skills
Building focus and attention span
Creativity Objectives
Foster appreciation of visual arts, music (instrumental & vocal),
creative movement and dramatic play
Become aware of beauty in nature
Experience various art forms
Talk about aesthetic experience
Habits of Mind
As children move through the normal activities of our program we also encourage the early development of habits which contribute to future success. These particular habits are based on the work of Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick in their studies of what successful people do when they dont know what to do.
While the research on these habits is focused on adults, we find that these habits include behaviors we work on with children every day. For that reason, we decided to formally incorporate the habits into our curriculum.
The 16 Habits of Mind identified by Costa and Kallick are:
Persisting Thinking and communicating with clarity and precision
Managing impulsivity Gathering data through all senses
Taking responsible risks Listening with understanding and empathy
Striving for accuracy Responding with wonderment and awe
Thinking flexibly Thinking about thinking (metacognition)
Finding humor Creating, imagining, innovating
Thinking interdependently Questioning and posing problems
Remaining open to continuous Applying past knowledge to new situations
learning
More information on Habits of Mind can be found at:
http://www.habits-of-mind.net/
Somerset's program strives to support children's growth in each of the above areas by:
Providing a caring, professional teaching staff that respects, encourages, supports and
guides children's explorations.
Providing a rich, safe, and planned physical, social and learning environment. Our
learning interest areas and experiences encourage higher levels of school readiness in
pre-math, pre-reading, science and social studies.
Providing flexible, challenging and varied learning centers and experiences.
Providing an optimum mix of new and familiar experiences, equipment, and materials.
Providing support and guidance when children momentarily lose control of materials,
equipment, or emotions.
Providing open communication and collaboration with children's parents to help the
children grow and develop optimally.
Providing an inclusive experience during the holidays, avoiding the use of religious
symbols, and keeping activities with multicultural and multiethnic awareness.