We know that every child is unique with their own special way of learning and discovering the world around them. That is why The Growing Years offers a multitude of stimulating activities with ample opportunities for expression and exploration.
Each of our classrooms are designed around different centers, each one with a purpose.
We also know that learning doesn’t stop when children go outside. The outdoors offers an array of learning opportunities. That is why all of our children go outside everyday, weather permitting. In addition to the running, jumping and game playing, we create outdoor learning environments where children of all ages can create art, play music or explore science or create a theatre if they wish to. All of our playgrounds are equipped with age appropriate equipment and checked regularly to ensure the safety of every child. This includes the infants who have their own play area with multiple surfaces for them to experience and learning equipment to stimulate cognitive as well as physical growth.
This center offers a variety of experience through active, hands-on play. Children learn literacy through vocabulary and language. They learn mathematics by using number concepts, patterns and relationships, geometry and spatial concepts, and even measurement.
Science is encouraged in the blocks center in the areas of physical science in explorations, life science through realistic props, and it promotes an understanding of the earth and the environment with the use of natural materials to enhance their play. Children also learn valuable social studies concepts about people and how they live, as well as, spaces and geography. These concepts also carry over to the arts as the children use drama to extend their play and even visual art in the structures they build. Finally, the block center helps promote technology in learning when children explore basic operations such as ramps, wheels and pulleys.
Dramatic play is a favorite interest center for children at all developmental stages. Children have opportunities to learn in all content areas.
Children learn many valuable literacy skills through vocabulary and language with the introduction of various props and topics.
They are able to explore print, letters and words with the use of real menus, books and props such as telephones books, empty food boxes, etc.
They are also able to have a concrete understanding of literacy and other texts that may be added to the centers to promote play, such as books on subjects
like astronauts, farming, etc. In the area of mathematics children learn problem solving and number concepts through activities such as setting the table,
measurement, etc. There are many opportunities for science exploration in the dramatic play area, including physical science, life science and earth, and
the environment. Children can explore foods, nutrition, and even recycling… the opportunities are endless! Social studies concepts can be enhanced through
spaces and geography with activities such as setting up the center as a store or concepts relating to people and how they live. The arts are an important
component of this center as well. Children have opportunities to act out various roles or even to develop their own puppet shows. The center also encourages
visual arts by allowing the children to develop and create their own props for their play. Finally, this center allows children to grow their understanding of
technology. By adding props such as cameras, calculators, phones, etc. children increase their awareness of technology and the role of people and technology.
This center incorporates table toys, games and puzzles that increase children’s emerging math, science, social studies and literacy skills.
It also helps develop their problem solving skills and increase creativity. Children learn a variety of literacy skills such as building
vocabulary and language by using many descriptive words in their play. Manipulatives increase their knowledge of letters and words with
the use of materials such as magnetic letters, letter blocks or letter tiles. It also strengthens their knowledge of print. Manipulatives
is a very strong area for mathematics. The skills covered include: problem solving, number concepts, patterns and relationships, geometry,
spatial concepts and it helps develop the skills of data collection, organization and representation. These concepts are also part of science
skills. This center takes exploration a step further with physical science concepts such as balance, strength or gravity. There are also
opportunities to learn about life science. Social studies are strong in this center as children learn about people and how they live.
Visual arts are also incorporated by the use of open-ended materials where children can express themselves creatively. Finally, this center
promotes an awareness of technology through the use of toys with moving parts such as gear, hinges and pulleys.
Children learn many lifelong skills in the art center. The art center helps expand literacy through children’s use of vocabulary and language.
It also teaches them knowledge of print in the materials they use and when they dictate and put words with their work. The art center is
also rich in mathematics. Children are introduced to number concepts, patterns, geometry and spatial concepts and even measurement.
Science is also introduced through the area of physical science with experiments in different art media such as clay, paint mixtures, etc.
Life science is incorporated through use of natural materials as well. These all increase their knowledge of the earth and the environment.
Social studies are encouraged as children learn about people and how they live as they observe and create what they see in their world.
This in turn promotes their knowledge of people and the environment through many skills such as conservation of materials and beautification
of our world. The arts are incorporated through drawing, painting, sculpting, woodworking, music, drama… the list goes on and on.
Finally, technology is encouraged in a variety of ways such as the use of tools, woodworking or even computer technology through appropriate
programs or camera technology.
The library center offers a wealth of opportunities to connect content, teaching and learning. In the area of literacy children
expend their vocabulary and language, phonological awareness, understanding of books and other texts, knowledge of print, comprehension,
and literacy as a source of enjoyment. Mathematics is enhanced through texts that include number concepts, patterns and relationships,
geometry and spatial awareness and even measurement of amounts, time, etc. Science can be incorporated with the use of informational
text to teach life science, physical science and the earth, and our environment. This is also true for social studies. The library
center promotes an understanding of people and how they live, spaces and geography, the environment, and the past. It is limitless.
The arts are also an important component of the library center. Children develop an appreciation for visual arts through illustrations,
music, drama and dance as they dramatize familiar stories. Children can also develop an awareness of technology in a variety of forms
such as book making and research on stories and subjects. Children also increase their technology skills in basic operations and concepts
as they use word processors to make their own literary works.
This area also promotes literacy. Their vocabulary and language is increased as they talk about their discoveries.
Through recording of experiments and charting, children increase their knowledge of print, letters and words. It also
strengthens their understanding of books and other texts, as well as, literacy as a source of enjoyment. In the content
area of mathematics, this area increases their knowledge and use of numbers through counting and sorting collections,
patterns and relationships as they learn of life cycles, and measurement through the use of measuring cups, spoons,
timers, tape measures and scales. This center also enhances their geometry skills and spatial awareness. We also
start the beginning concepts of data collection, organization and mathematical representation. Science is comprehensive
in this center. Children learn processing skills in science, about life science, physical science and the earth, and the
environment. In the area of social studies, children learn about spaces and geography through their explorations and
people, and how they live. The arts are incorporated as children explore the elements of the visual arts by mixing colors,
feeling textures, etc. Children can also learn about music as they explore sound and tone. This center is also rich in
its use of technology. It enhances children’s awareness of technology, their understanding of basic operations and concepts
as they use technology tools for discovery.
This center allows children to explore, hands-on in a variety of ways. Children learn literacy through vocabulary and
language by exploring terms such as water pressure, gritty, siphon, funnel, etc. As they read books on the subject,
they also learn letters and words and encourage their knowledge of print. Mathematics is also str4ong in this center.
Children learn number concepts, patterns, geometry and measurement as they explore materials. Science is included in
physical science, the earth, and the environment. Children explore through the use of ramps, gutters, funnels and sieves,
not to mention their every day observations of sand and water outside on the playground. Children are also able to gain
social studies skills and an understanding of the environment, people and how they live as they role play with dump trucks,
bulldozers and rakes, etc. The arts can be encouraged in the sand and water center through a variety of methods such as using
water to make music and sound, or visual arts through their sand creations. Finally, this center is rich in technology skills.
Children use tools such as waterwheels, gear, pulleys, etc. and they explore people and technology.
Music and movement have natural connections to the content areas. In the area of literacy, children expand their use of vocabulary,
language, and phonological awareness with songs that are full of rhymes and repetition. It helps children understand books and other
texts which increase their knowledge of print including letters, words, and even comprehension with skills such as dramatizing a story
using body movements. Mathematics is increased as children explore number concepts in music, patterns and relationships, geometry,
spatial concept and even measurement such as quickly or slowly or even holding a note. In the content area of science children explore
physical science by experiment with sound and investigate the earth and environment by making their own instruments or activities
such as seeing how things move in the wind. Social studies is encouraged as children learn about spaces and geography in movement
activities, people and how they live through explorations of multicultural music, people and the environment, and even people in the past.
The arts are explored through dance, music and drama. Finally, technology skills are increased through an awareness of technology, basic
operations and concepts such as using CD players and appropriate software, and how musicians create sound.
This center has many opportunities to integrate learning through all content areas. In the area of literacy,
the computer center expands children’s use of vocabulary and language development, phonological awareness, understanding
of books, knowledge of print, letters and words, and the enjoyment of literacy. In mathematics, it increases number
concepts, patterns and relationships, and measurement. In the area of science, children are able to explore various
subjects relating to physical science, life science and the earth, and the environment. Social studies can be enhanced
as children explore how people lived and their pasts through research. Children are also able to increase their knowledge
of the arts through the basics of music and programs promoting visual arts. In the area of technology, children increase
their awareness, explore basic operations and concepts and they use a variety of technology tools such as computers, printers,
scanners, digital cameras, etc.
Many times the outdoor environment is not considered when we think of academic content. However, the outside environment is rich in all content areas.
In the area of literacy, children are able to build on their knowledge of vocabulary and language by asking and encouraging questions about the things
they see in their environment. It can also promote and understanding of books and other texts, and literacy as a source of enjoyment as children explore
books related to what they discover outdoors. Simple outdoor games such as jumping rope or clapping games also promote phonological awareness.
Literacy can even go a step further as children have opportunities to learn about print, letters and words by activities such as identifying plants
or giving children materials to take notes and observations about their environment. Mathematics is also strong as children have many opportunities
for problem solving, increasing their knowledge of number concepts, patterns and relationships, geometry and spatial concepts, data collection,
organization, representation, measurement and graphing. The science content area is vast in the outdoor environment. Children develop processing
skills as they are asked open-ended questions, exposed to physical science, life science and the earth, and the environment. In the area of
social studies, children learn about spaces and geography, people and how they live, and people and the environment. The arts can also be a strong
component in the outdoor environment. Children can use their bodies freely outdoors with dance, music, and drama. Visual art materials can also
be used outdoors. Finally, the outdoor environment can also encourage technology skills. Children increase these skills with an awareness of people
and technology by discussing the different tools and machines that are used outside. Technology tools can also be used with utensils such as binoculars,
pulleys, cameras, etc.
