The Quality Preschool Program Standards state that “the curriculum guides teachers to incorporate content, concepts, and activities that foster social, emotional, physical, language, and cognitive development and that integrate key areas of content including literacy, mathematics, science, technology, creative expression and the arts, health and safety, and social studies. The schedule provides children learning opportunities, experiences, and projects that extend over the course of several days and incorporates time for play, self-initiated learning, creative expression, large-group, small-group, and child-initiated activity."
Howard-Winneshiek Community School preschool programs use an approved curriculum for planning and assessment, Creative Curriculum. The curriculum includes centers: blocks, dramatic play, art, cooking, library, discovery, technology, toys and games, sand and water, music and movement, and outdoors. We use a valid and reliable assessment tool called Teaching Strategies GOLD. The assessment is based on 38 objectives. Teachers collect documentation to determine your child’s progress related to these objectives.
Information collected will be used to write a Family Conference Form (report card) and will be sent home three times a year in the fall, winter, and spring. Families will be given ongoing opportunities to share observations from home and contribute to the assessment process. Conferences will be held twice a year.
Your child will be learning through creative, active play that can sometimes be messy. Your child should wear comfortable, washable clothing as well as rubber-soled and closed-toe shoes to school. While we encourage the use of paint smocks or shirts during art projects, we can’t guarantee that spills or stains will not occur.