Curriculum Night STARS Elona P. Cooley Early Childhood Development Center

TELL Materials (Teaching Early Language and Literacy) Matched up to Splash Houghton Mifflin Themes

Components of the Of our day Zoo Phonics Snack family style conversation Math Music and Movement Science Art Vocabulary Social/Emotional supports Story Time Picture schedules Writing Names Gross Motor Activities (with Special Olympic equipment)

Letter Names

Letter Sounds 9.00

Concepts About Print

Arizona Early Learning State Standards

Benefits of State Standards We plan our activities around the TELL curriculum themes and data gathered during the curriculum based measures. We also plan activities that coincide with the Arizona Early Childhood State Standards as well as individualized student needs.  These standards were developed to help student progress in all areas of development.     These areas include:                 Approaches to Learning Social and Emotional Development                 Physical Development                 Language and Literacy                 Mathematics                 Science                 Fine Arts **You can access these standards on the web by visiting the Arizona Department of Education Early Learning website.**

Parent Volunteers We love having parent volunteer in the classroom. Beginning September 1st we will hand out volunteer packets. They must be completed and returned to the district office for approval. Once approved, we will work together to find a time for you to come assist in the classroom. Volunteering can be on a weekly, monthly, or as needed basis. Whichever works best for individual schedules. If you would prefer to be an “at home” volunteer we can use you too. We can send items to cut out, copy, organize, etc. and when you are done you send them back. This does not require a volunteer packet to be filled out. Talk to your teacher after September 1st if you are interested in this opportunity.

Information and Requests Center Based Information and Requests The stools in the front waiting area and pods are for sitting on. Please watch your children and help them respect the furniture and facility. We have been working hard to teach them that these are not bumper cars, jungle gyms, or to stand on. When at school please have your child follow our school rules: walking (not running), encourage independence for walking in and putting their backpacks and water bottles up, and bubbles in the hallways. This will show respect for other classrooms that are already in session. Our classroom doors will open at 9:13 and 12:13pm for our a.m. and 1:13 and 4:13 for our pm classes. We take our lunch break at 12:30 to 1 and this only allows us a 13 minute prep between classes.

Please encourage your child to leave toys at home. Classroom Based Information and Requests If you send your daughter in a dress/skirt please make sure they have shorts/leggings on under it. We are very active during the day and busy climbing, sliding, crawling, and sitting. Please remember to pick up your children on time. The official end time for the morning session is 12:15am and the afternoon class end at 4:15pm. By picking your child on time, this will allow the teachers time for lunch and to prep for the next class (a.m.) and teachers can leave and spend time with their families and or pick their children up from after school care! Please encourage your child to leave toys at home.

More Information

Learning through Play In a child’s world, play is a very important time. A child will pretend, imitate, imagine, and create. They use all of their senses to explore. Play allows children to make exciting discoveries about their world - all by themselves! Play is truly a young child’s “work”, and is a more productive learning activity than time spent on workbook pages or drill activities. As they play, children learn to ask questions, problem solve, work together, create, use their imagination, and socialize.

Learning through Play   Play allows children to make exciting discoveries about their world- all by themselves! They view themselves as problem solvers, explorers, inventors and discoverers. Children develop a vision of themselves as capable learners and an enthusiasm for the further challenges school will bring. This is also a time for individual therapy and anecdotal notes made by teachers for Classroom Observational Record (COR).

Outdoor Play Skills acquired: Build muscles Awareness of body and how it moves in space Spatial concepts Problem solving Turn taking Social development

Circle Time Skills aquired: Language Patterning Sequencing Rote counting Shapes Color recognition Letter/Sound recogniton Left to right progression Story Comprehension Follow directions Decision making Movement Music Leadership Responsibility

Center Activities Skills acquired: Fine motor Gross motor Language Social Cognitive Sensory Centers are typically teacher directed activities, in which the finished product is created by the child. These activities are developed to help meet the needs of our students.

Technology Smart boards were added to our classrooms in 2009. They are interactive white boards that allow your child to participate in hands on learning. Images are projected onto the Smart board from the computer and your child’s hand is the mouse.

Thinking Maps Thinking Maps are a set of organizational tools used through out Higley Unified School District. There are 8 maps. Circle Map-defining Bubble Map-describing Double Bubble-Compare/Contrast Tree-Classifying Brace-Part to Whole Flow -Sequencing Multi-Flow-Cause and Effect Bridge –Analogies You may see some of these maps sent home with your child.

Therapy We have therapists that contribute to the curriculum with small group activities weekly. Therapies provided are speech, occupational and physical. Speech Therapy works on language and pre-reading skills Occupational therapy works on fine motor skills. Physical Therapy works on gross motor skills.

This is going to be a great year ! Thank you for coming.