Dear Families,
The Early Childhood Programs (Pre-Kindergarten, Early Childhood Special Education, and Head start) in the Omaha Public Schools are based in the belief that every child is diverse and uniquely gifted with the capacity to learn. The OPS programs capitalize on the natural curiosity of children by designing meaningful learning experiences in a safe and secure environment. Instruction is designed to accommodate a broad range of children's individual needs, learning styles, experiences and interests. Classroom learning will include independent learning, small and large group learning, and experiential learning.
All the Early Childhood Programs in OPS use Creative Curriculum. It is a set of 50 objectives that 3-5 year olds move through as they grow and develop. They are organized around 4 develomental areas: Social/Emotional, Physical, Cognitive, and Language. I will incorporate the components of the Creative Curriculum as the framework for my classroom set-up, classroom instruction, and assessment of the students learning. I will use themes to work towards meeting the Creative Curriculum’s 50 objectives.
Students will be assessed on the objectives 3 times a year: October, January, and May. I will use this information to write your child's quarterly reports and we will discuss it at Parent/Teacher Conferences. The reports will reflect how they are growing in each of the 4 developmental areas.
One way of reaching the 50 objectives is by setting up meaningful learning experiences in a set of 11 Creative Curriculum learning centers. These centers offer opportunities for teachers to teach content as children explore materials. Teachers provide materials to initiate curiosity, discovery, and understanding. Teacher/student interaction in each center, allows teachers to guide student learning. My classroom contains all of the centers except, the last three. We have music and movement in our daily schedule, outdoor opportunities depending on weather and time, and cooking as it applies to our theme. I have one additional center in my room that we call the motor center. It provides students the opportunity to grow physically by playing on the climber, slide and the trampoline.
The following is a list of the Creative Curriculum centers offered during choice time:
Blocks Discovery
Dramatic Play Sand and Water
Toys and Games Music and Movement
Art Cooking
Library Outdoor
Computers
The purpose of the Omaha Public Schools Early Childhood Programs is to provide educational opportunities, which enable all students to achieve their potential and develop a love of learning. If you have any questions about the curriculum, please do not hesitate to call or ask me questions.