Curriculum by Level
The Redwood City Child Development Program curriculum focuses on ensuring that children learn effectively by providing an environment that allows all children, including those with special needs, to learn through discovery and play. The basis of our curriculum is the belief that children learn best through their interactions with real materials, children, and adults in a safe and supportive environment.
Research shows that school readiness is linked with children’s social and emotional development. RCCDP promotes positive self-esteem by providing a positive and nurturing learning environment that is geared to the level and interests of the children.
INFANTS & TODDLER PROGRAM
Our infant and toddler program promotes the development of self-esteem, security and social competence through socialization. The primary focus of this program is to encourage the children to explore a new environment, become familiar and comfortable with new caregivers and friends, while challenging their developmental milestones. We utilize the California Desired Results Developmental Profile to help follow the development of each individual child.
TWO’s PROGRAM
In our two’s program, developing empathy and promoting self-identity are our primary goals. Our two’s are encouraged to recognize their feelings, and the feelings of their friends. In this class, our teachers help the children express themselves through language, often giving the children access to new vocabulary words. It is during this time that the children begin to recognize others’ feelings and how their actions can affect their friends. We work with the children to help them develop empathy for their friends while learning important language to communicate their needs. It is during this program that the children begin to learn self-help and independence skills. The children will master potty training, handwashing, practice dressing themselves and becoming more independent.
PRESCHOOL PROGRAM
Through the first five years of life, there is incredible growth of language, cognitive, social-emotional, and motor development in children. Our program recognizes children’s eagerness to learn and provides them with a healthy balance of activities, both child-directed and teacher-led, active and quiet activities in both small and large group settings. We emphasize the development of self-esteem and social skills which are necessary for future success.
We have a multi-sensory approach to instruction which engages all aspects of learning through visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic pathways to the brain. Children at this age have not yet developed a true learning style, it is important for our instruction methods to challenge each pathway to make neural connections to allow for further cognitive development. Through repetition we will reinforce the learning message. Learning occurs when stimulating multiple senses through repetition. Our success in being able to retrieve information we have learned depends on the number of pathways we have created to find it.
Using the California State Department of Education’s Standards for Kindergarten Readiness as a guide, appropriate measures have been integrated into building an evolving curriculum. Children are offered a variety of opportunities to practice fine motor skills through daily arts and crafts, free play, and while using small manipulative toys. We utilize the Zoo Phonics curriculum to introduce phonics and pre-literacy skills.
KINDERGARTEN READINESS
Our program offers Kindergarten Readiness groups for older preschoolers moving on to kindergarten at the end of the school year. These children participate in small group activities focused on preparing them for kindergarten entry. The group focuses on phonics, learning to write first and last names, self-help, and math and science activities. This focus group uses the Zoo Phonics system for preschool. Zoo Phonics is a multisensory language program that uses a multi-modal approach to learning all aspects of language arts.
DESIRED RESULTS SYSTEM
The California Department of Education (CDE), Child Development Division (CDD) has developed an approach intended to improve the results achieved for children and families through the child development services provided by State funded programs. RCCDP uses the Desired Results System mandated by CDE as a tool to review, evaluate and reflect on program development.
RCCDP believes in the goals of the Desired Results system. We believe that the implementation of this system enriches our program and enables us to offer improved services to meet the needs of the children and families that we serve. We, therefore, support the administration of all aspects of this system. The six desired results to which all State funded programs are expected to contribute are:
- Children are personally and socially competent.
- Children are effective learners.
- Children show physical and motor competence.
- Children are safe and healthy.
- Families support their children’s learning and development.
- Families achieve their goals.
RCCDP completes a Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP-R) on each child enrolled in the program within 60 calendar days of enrollment and every six months thereafter. We create a portfolio for each child that is utilized in an on-going assessment process for curriculum development, individualization in the classroom, and parent involvement in their child’s education. Information learned from this assessment and from observations is used to plan a curriculum based on each child’s needs. The curriculum provides age-appropriate experiences that help children become personally and socially competent, effective learners, show physical and motor competence and practice safe and healthy behavior.
The Environmental Rating Scale (ECERS, ITERS), a classroom environment assessment tool, is used yearly to evaluate our environment and make changes that will invite children to explore and stimulate new learning while helping children achieve identified goals.
The Desired Results Parent Survey is given to each parent to complete once a year, to indicate their level of satisfaction and to comment about the program.
Music Together In School
As part of the Music Together® curriculum, Music Together specialists teach weekly music and movement classes in early learning settings in cooperation with classroom teachers. Classroom teachers then follow through on the weekly sessions, adapting activities to their curriculum needs and interests. Recordings, songbooks, and teaching materials are provided to each classroom and family. Children “bring the music home” for parent-child music play, sharing the songs and activities learned in school.
The Music Together curriculum provides children with the opportunity to learn music in developmentally appropriate ways; supports their language, cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development; enhances the classroom experience; supports family engagement by giving parents enjoyable and significant ways to nurture their children’s development; and enhances happiness and well-being in the school community.