Classroom and Curriculum
The Red Group
The Red Group spans an exciting and important stage in children's development, one in which we see a tremendous amount of growth and change. Our classroom is a mix of three- and four-year olds, some of who are transitioning from the Green Group and some of who are entering our school for the first time. This provides the opportunity to integrate new and returning families in a unique way. One of our most important goals is to make lasting and meaningful connections with our children and families, thereby bringing the group together and forming a tight community network.
Families are the backbone of our community, and we welcome them into the classroom at all times to participate in special events as well as in our daily curriculum. A family member visiting the classroom sparks interest, curiosity, and conversation. The visit also provides a natural stimulus for families to get to know all the children and for the children to get to know their friends' families. In our close-knit community any adult in the classroom is fair game for reading a book, helping to tie a shoe, or giving a loving hug. For example, in the morning, a grandmother reading a book before leaving for work might end up with a small group of children huddled around her, sharing in the experience. In the afternoon, a father who arrives during afternoon meeting might join a story-group already in progress and have his own "turn at the group-time activity. Visitors have commented that sometimes it is hard to tell which adults are the teachers and which adults are the family members: We all take pride in lending a hand to build our community. We capitalize on daily opportunities for children to integrate home and school and to bring both of their important "worlds together.
We believe that children learn to understand, embrace, and seek variety when they are exposed to and interact with people who represent a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and lifestyles. The rich variety represented in our community provides us with a basis through which to promote the concepts of diversity and individuality with the children. The idea that we are each unique, wonderful, and have something special to offer the group is an important foundation for our daily interactions with children and families. We design our curriculum around celebrating the diversity in our class. We choose universal topics that each family and child can investigate through their own unique lens. For example, one year many of the children in the Red Group experienced the death of a grandparent. The teachers heard conversations about grandparents, living and deceased, cropping up in the classroom as well as among family members. To foster these important conversations and to help the children remain connected to their grandparents, whether they were living together or abroad, or were already deceased, we built a curriculum unit around the topic of grandparents. The goal of the unit was for each child to "get to know a grandparent and then present him or her to the class. The child and family embarked on this process by interviewing the grandparent or someone who knew the grandparent well, in addition to collecting photographs of and favorite stories about this person. Through this unit children (and families) experienced the wonder of keeping grandparents alive in their hearts as well as the splendor of memories.
Through our integrated and emergent curriculum we help children work on age-appropriate and relevant goals in the areas of social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Each part of our day is rich with hands-on opportunities to explore materials and make discoveries. Red Groupers are encouraged to be creative, independent learners and have daily opportunities to choose activities according to their own varying interests. There is an incredible sense of pride and accomplishment in the Red Group as children master new tasks and learn new skills. Literacy is one of the many areas in which children this age are beginning to blossom. We encourage and support the children's burgeoning literacy skills through the use of Big Books with repetitive and predictable text, song charts with words and pictures, as well as other Whole Language approaches to reading. Our reading corner is lined with pillows and welcomes children to snuggle up with a good book. We encourage family involvement in literacy development through the use of a sign-out sheet children use to take their favorite books home for the evening. We also send Book Bags home for children and their families to enjoy together. Book Bags relate to the theme we are exploring in the classroom and include several fun literacy activities centered on a book. They provide a wonderful opportunity for families to sit down and engage in a literacy experience, while bringing school and home together.
Our supportive classroom environment recognizes each child's areas of strength as well as those that need further development. The curriculum is individualized to meet the unique learning profile of the child as well as the interests and needs of the group. As the children in the Red Group grow and develop throughout the year, they learn who they are as individuals and as members of their larger communities. Our classroom provides a challenging and nurturing place for this self-discovery and exploration. By the end of the year, our diverse and unique group of learners is ready for their next learning experiences.
