About Us News Calendar Directions Parents Contact
Enrollment Program Fundraising Summer Program
|
About Us News Calendar Directions Parents Contact Enrollment Program Fundraising Summer Program
|
|
Summer Curriculum We are excited to be developing our 2008 summer program curriculum here at Learning Circle. Elaine and I have been talking about curriculum possibilities, keeping in mind the interests, learning styles, and development of the children who we already know. We will be focusing on our natural environment and will incorporate many opportunities to use natural materials in on-going arts experiences. With the children, we’ll think about our impact on the environment, think about how we can take care of the environment and recycle and reuse found materials in our projects and creations. We’ll encourage children to take the time to develop their observation and investigation skills, as they develop the ability to ask questions, use books and conversation with others to collect information (research), and to document details that are of personal importance. Our specific focus and projects will emerge over time as we and the children get to know each other better and share time and ideas. The first few days of the summer program will be spent getting to know each other as a new class, introducing our routines, and beginning some basic processes that we expect to develop over the course of the program. One of our first jobs this summer will be to plan new gardening experiences with the children, so that we can watch growth and development over the six weeks we share together. We will be preparing new areas on the school grounds for gardening with the children, and will brainstorm ways to keep young plants safe from any hungry animals that may visit our yard. With some luck, we’ll have a small harvest ready by the end of the program. We will also be establishing areas outdoors for constructive play, painting and printing, drawing observations, etc. Our goal will be to include natural materials from the environment to work with whenever possible. Once the children are accustomed to working outdoors, we expect projects and themes to emerge and give shape to our explorations. We plan to take opportunities to walk down the street to Brookwood Farm so that we can observe the progress of plantings at the organic farm, and explore the meadows, trees and ponds on the property as well. From the start, we’ll offer musical experiences that focus on rhythm, a steady beat and using found materials to create musical instruments. Using music outdoors (of our own creation as well as recorded music) may lead us toward a focus on air in motion, as scarves and other props are made available for both guided and spontaneous creative movement. We expect that bubble science will lead us in related directions over the first few days as well. In summer sessions, as in the academic school year, teachers and children take the time to document our shared experiences together, and look forward to sharing them with parents, too. Through photos, written text, samples of work, interviews of children, etc., we will be busy documenting the many themes that become important over our days together. Towards the end of the program, this work will be displayed, so that parents will be able to share some of the experiences that become important to each child. |
|
Learning Circle Preschool, Three Blue Hill River Road, Canton, MA 02021
1-781-828-4800
|