Curriculum

Our curriculum grows out of the goals we have for all children, and an educational philosophy that is grounded in the principle that children cannot be given knowledge, but rather must be provided with experiences from which they construct their own knowledge and develop their own skills. We believe that planned, organized experiences are important, as are flexible, spontaneous experiences, and that an effective learning environment will provide a balance of both.

Our Early Childhood Program seeks to achieve these goals by combining the best features of current educational theories:

• The Reggio Emilia approach
• Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences
• Vygotsky’s theories of Social Interaction and Learning
• Piaget
• Constructivism

Ideas about Learning, Teaching and Instruction

• The Write Stuff 01/25/2012

  Long before a child learns to form letters with a pencil or marker, she has taken many steps toward learning to write. Children must have many opportunities to use their hands to do various things before they can successfully print letters. Moldin...

• Learning with Blocks 10/18/2011

  Blocks are open-ended materials that stimulate young imaginations, provide choices for discovery and invention, and promote the development of problem-solving skills. One day a block may be an airplane. The next day that same block in the hands of the ...

• The Artful Classroom 04/15/2011

  A child becomes totally engrossed, immersed in the process of making a work of art. The sensation of feeling the smooth thick paint sliding onto the easel paper calms the child and brings pleasure in the creation. When the child grapples with the chall...

• Let's Pretend! 03/29/2011

  Make-believe play is not only one of the great joys of childhood; it also offers abundant opportunities for children's development. Children develop interpersonal skills, particularly cooperation and conflict resolution, and improve their language and ...

• More Than One Kind of Smart 03/22/2011

  "He has a low IQ." "She's very intelligent." Sometimes we talk as though intelligence were a single commodity that people have in greater or lesser supply. Yet we see all around us adults and children who are very smart in math but not at all good ...

The Importance of Play

Pembroke Kids’ curriculum is developmental and play-based. We believe that creative play is a critical component of early childhood education, and our program provides lots of opportunities for child-initiated learning. To learn more about the importance of imaginative play, please visit the Alliance for Childhood website and download their 8-page policy brief, “Play in the Early Years: Key to School Success.” Another excellent resource from the American Academy of Pediatrics, “The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds,” can be downloaded here.

For Parents

• Finding a High Quality Preschool – a checklist to use when evaluating preschools.
• 10 Signs of a Great Preschool – make sure your child is in a good classroom.
• Child and Family Webguide – links to the best sites about infants, children, and teens.
• Parent’s Guide to Preschool – Informative site for parents.
• Developmental Stages for 3 year olds
• Developmental Stages for 4 year olds
• Preschool Development – what to expect from preschoolers.
• A world to a Preschooler is Unique
• NAEYC – National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Kid Friendly Websites

• Yahoo Kids! is the ultimate web guide for kids! Features fun and educational resources for kids with games, animals, music, and jokes.
• Crayola Official Website - Sections for parents, educators and kids. Arts and crafts, rainy day activities, calendar of events and card creator.
• Official Website of Eric Carle – Fans of “Brown Bear”, “Grouchy Ladybug”, “Hungry Caterpillar” or the dozens of other Eric Carle children’s publications will want to visit this website.
• Sesame Workshop – the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street and so much more.
• PBS Kids – Links, Games , Stories, Music, Coloring.
• Kendra’s Coloring Book – an interactive virtual coloring book.

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