The Village Green Day School at Lowes Island Preschool Curriculum has been designed to integrate the essential elements of various models of early learning.

It is a comprehensive and sequential program of learning for toddlers through pre-kindergarten age students. Hirsch, Montessori, Piaget, Gesell, Erikson, and other preschool practices have all influenced our teaching and assessment methods. Village Green has a connected curriculum that filters throughout the whole preschool and provides each child with an evenly balanced education.

Core Knowledge

The primary curriculum utilized in our preschool is the Core Knowledge curriculum developed by E.D. Hirsch. The curriculum provides children with specific, fundamental goals which help build a solid academic foundation on which new knowledge is layered. These sequenced learning experiences are organized into age groups: Foundation Level for 2½-3 year olds, Level I for 3 year olds, and Level II for 4 year olds. The comprehensive Core Knowledge curriculum helps us assess each student's individual needs, and meets those needs with instruction. The curriculum provides consistency and related vocabulary as a common ground between levels.

Village Green teachers follow the balanced objectives of the Core Knowledge guidelines to ensure that all areas of the curriculum are adequately covered within each age group. Teachers meet, talk, plan and work together to ensure a sequential learning pattern develops. Lesson plans are then approved by the Head of School. The Core Knowledge Preschool Sequence consists of objectives in Autonomy and Social Skills, Work Habits, Language, Mathematics, Orientation in Time, Orientation in Space, Science, Music and Visual Arts. Teachers use their educational background and vast experience working with children to develop lesson plans that creatively introduce and practice the objectives in the Core Knowledge curriculum.

For in depth information about Core Knowledge, click here .

Character Connection

In addition to the Core Knowledge Curriculum, Village Green values the strong connection between the students, teachers, and parents, and the community as a whole. It is important to work together to educate our children about being good citizens. These lessons are universal values practiced by generations in an effort to live lives filled with purpose and meaning. The Character Connection values introduced monthly at Village Green include Friendship, Fairness, Sharing, Kindness & Caring, Responsibility, Honesty, Respect, Cooperation, and Perseverance.

Fine Art Specials

Children enrolled in our preschool program spend time in Fine Art Specials, that enrich their learning and social development at Village Green. Each of these classes is either taught by a specialist or a teacher who has been trained in that area of expertise.

Since music is such an important part of developing the young mind, our Music Program incorporates a variety of different instruments, songs, and movements to excite and engage the children. Each week the students learn about sounds and songs related to a given theme. Our Music Specialist also prepares the preschool children for musical performances where children learn songs with coordinating hand movements, and perform on risers for their families and friends.

Our Computer Program for children ages four and five allows students to be exposed to computers at an early age. This program is designed to reinforce Core Knowledge skills and lessons that the students are working on in their preschool class. Other areas children improve when using computers are: fine motor skills, eye hand coordination, long-term memory, problem solving, increased creativity and being able to follow a set of sequenced instructions.

Art has always been an important part of early childhood education. Our Art Program provides children an opportunity to not only produce their own art, but also explore and appreciate a variety of art forms from various master artists. By using a paint brush, pencil, torn paper or clay, children make their first attempts at graphic representation, a precursor to writing. Our Art Specialist incorporates famous artists and different art techniques into developmentally appropriate lessons.

Assessments

Assessments are ongoing within the classroom and our experienced teachers adjust their lessons at the whole group level, and at the individual level, based on the knowledge they gain by working with the children. Teachers contact parents throughout the year if they have concerns about how a given child is progressing towards targeted skills.

Three times a year, in November, January, and June, the teachers formally assess the students, record their findings, and hold a conference with the parents to communicate a summary of how the child is progressing. During the January conference, the teacher will also recommend a developmentally appropriate program for the child for the following year.

Class Offerings