Curriculum

Chapel Hill Children’s School bases its curriculum on the philosophy that children learn through active involvement with their environment.

We work to provide a loving and caring environment where children will develop independence and school readiness by acquiring skills in these areas:

• Self-esteem
• Self-confidence
• Responsibility
• Social Skills
• Listening and Following Directions
• Language Development
• Recognition of Colors, Shapes, Numbers, and Letters
• Development of Gross and Fine Motor Skills to Improve Eye-Hand Coordination

Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum

In all classes, teachers provide developmentally appropriate activities and materials to help children learn and grow at their own pace. A developmentally appropriate curriculum has two critical components: age appropriateness and individual appropriateness. Age appropriateness is guided by the universal sequences of development. That is, children typically learn particular concepts and abilities in the preschool years at a predictable age and sequence. Individual appropriateness means that activities are specifically designed to help your child grow and develop based on his or her strengths and weaknesses.

Teachers combine structured daily routines with free-choice activity times, allowing the children to explore their own creativity while relying on the comfort of a warm, loving classroom. Our curriculum includes discovery-based learning experiences that give each individual child the opportunity to move through specially designed learning centers. Additionally, the children participate in a variety of musical and artistic activities, as well as outdoor activities that foster the development of social skills, strength and coordination. Children attend Music class and Chapel Time each week and flourish with the individual attention they receive in our small class sizes.

Units of study during the year will include topics such as transportation, community helpers, seasons, friends, ocean animals, zoo animals, holidays, etc. Current unit titles will be listed in our monthly newsletter.

PARENT’S DAY OUT

(Based on age as of Sept. 1)

• 18-24 month olds
• 2 year olds

Class time for Parent’s Day Out classes includes free play in learning centers, circle time, Chapel time, music class, outside play, snack, art activities, unit study, songs, fingerplays, lunch time, and rest time. Centers include dramatic play, blocks, puzzles, manipulatives, art, sand & water, legos, and books.

PRESCHOOL

(Based on age as of Sept. 1)

• 3 year olds
• 4 year olds

Preschool classes are taught by a certified teacher and a full-time assistant.

Preschool children participate in all of the above as well as math and writing centers and science lab. Our sequential learning curriculum has been developed to prepare children for the academics of kindergarten. We use the Texas Prekindergarten Curriculum Guidelines as a basis for our curriculum.

The Preschool curriculum includes the following:

• Math – Many hands-on activities are provided and monthly math concepts include counting, number recognition, sorting, shapes, measurement, one-to-one correspondence, etc.
• Phonics – Curriculum is based on a letter-of-the-week program and provides opportunities to learn sounds and recognition of letters.
• Pre-literacy – Children are given exposure to print, books, and pre-writing experiences including journaling.

Class structure:

Classes are kept small, so that children receive individualized instruction in an environment which is conducive to learning and exploring.
Class ratios (children:teachers) are:

1’s 8:2       4’s 14:2
2’s 10:2     TK 15:2
3’s 12:2    

Teachers:

The teaching staff is the foundation of a quality program. For this reason, our standards are the highest. Chapel Hill Children’s School is proud of their wonderful and highly qualified teachers. All of our classes are taught by experienced, well-trained, and enthusiastic teachers who far exceed minimum licensing requirements, and who are all trained in pediatric first aid and CPR. Our teachers continue to participate in ongoing professional development and work in teams to provide quality experiences for children. Preschool and Transitional Kindergarten classes are led by certified teachers who have training in early childhood development.

TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN

(All children must be 5 on or before Sept. 1st.)

Our classes are led by a degreed teacher with a full-time assistant. Beginning and end dates and holidays follow Chapel Hill's schedule. The Transitional Kindergarten program is designed to give children who are not quite ready for Kindergarten an extra year to develop and become prepared for a successful Kindergarten experience the following year.

CURRICULUM:

Curriculum is based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The Transitional Kindergarten class includes a combination of curriculum guides and workbooks from McGraw Hill, Super Kids and the Rowland Reading Program (TK). Enrichment classes include Science, Movement, Music, and Technology Centers, as well as weekly Chapel time.

Our curriculum includes:

LANGUAGE ARTS—The Language Arts curriculum includes reading with leveled and phonetic readers (Kindergarten), writing, journaling, listening and speaking.

MATHEMATICS—Our mathematics curriculum is based on the TEKS and incorporates hands-on activities using manipulatives. Activities are presented which help them to count, pattern, graph and sort. The curriculum is designed to develop mathematical concepts and skills and prepare children with a solid foundation in math.

CHAPEL—We present weekly topics that are relevant to each child’s daily walk with
Jesus Christ.

SCIENCE—The science curriculum is designed to teach children about the physical world and develop the scientific method of questioning, forming ideas, making observations and drawing conclusions.

MUSIC APPRECIATION—Students experience creative movement through action songs and singing games. They express the enjoyment and love of music through singing and playing instruments.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION—Students will be developing their large motor skills as well as learning about healthy habits.

TECHNOLOGY— Students learn to recognize the parts of the computer and identify the computer as a machine that helps people work and play. They are also introduced to basic word processing.