Research-Based, Hands-On Activities Support Learning
Developed specifically for our schools and based on proven research, the STAR curriculum addresses all aspects of your child’s development with guidelines and themes that lay the foundations for academic success.
It provides a road map for our educators to devise hands-on, child-directed, and teacher-guided activities that integrate into our learning centers, circle time, and play. It also allows teachers to be flexible and meet each child’s individual needs.
APPROACHES TO LEARNING
Observing & Supporting Each Child
The National Education Goals Panel determined in 1997 that how children approach learning is just as important as what they know when it comes to school-readiness.
Our teachers observe and support each child as they encounter new activities to foster the curiosity, persistence, attention, problem-solving, and communication skills that build resilience and form effective learning habits that last a lifetime.
EARLY LITERACY
A Print-Rich Environment Supports Reading
Young children love to play with words, and our STAR Curriculum guides teachers in devising opportunities to build early literacy skills.
During morning Greeting Circles, children work with letters, rhymes, compound words, and sentences. Every classroom celebrates language with labels, print, and children’s written work. Picture books, audiobooks, story folders, and poems bring our themes to life. Teachers connect learners to quality literature during daily reading time and engage them with follow-up questions.
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
Cognition, Communication & Cultural Awareness
These early years are optimal for multiple language learning. Before they can talk, children learn sign language to communicate their needs without becoming frustrated.
The introduction of Spanish not only boosts the development of executive function skills but also encourages and allows children from different backgrounds to find common ground.
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
A Focus On Roles And Responsibilities Promotes Growth
The STAR Curriculum incorporates the Conscious Discipline method to develop social-emotional skills. Teachers use the idea of a School Family to help children build bonds, establish routines, structures, and rituals, understand acceptable behaviors, and learn how to be part of a community.
As they grow, children understand their role and responsibilities within their own families and broader communities. They become responsible citizens who respect differences and understand the relationships between their actions and their environment.
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Sensory, Math, Science, & Technology Activities Boost Brain Function
Our STAR Curriculum integrates hands-on activities that invite children to observe, predict, ask questions, and experiment to explore and understand how objects and processes connect.
Sensory explorations in the classroom and outdoors spark brain function and create an understanding of how the world works.
Math activities introduce concepts including attributes, classification, patterns, one-to-one correspondence, order, and numeration, building learners’ ability to reason, see relationships, and solve problems.
Guided by standards developed by the International Society for Technology in Education, teachers devise hands-on activities with manipulatives that lay the foundation for an understanding of technology.
PHYSICAL SKILLS
A Healthy Environment For Fine & Gross Motor Development
The STAR curriculum provides multiple opportunities for physical development.
In our age-appropriate playgrounds, children build gross motor skills like spatial awareness, control, balance, and coordination as they climb, crawl, run, and cycle. To develop fine motor skills, students are given daily opportunities to pinch, squeeze, grasp, tear, and roll — building the small muscles needed to write in the future.
FREE CHOICE AND CREATIVITY
Art, Music, & Dramatic Play For Self-Expression
Our dramatic play, block building, art, language, science, and math centers invite child-led free play in small groups, encouraging social-emotional skills like cooperation, sharing, problem-solving, and conflict resolution.
Children explore their natural creativity through outdoor play, art, music, and dramatic play, focusing on the process, rather than the product. These activities help children understand the world, express their emotions, and develop their individuality.
Six Benefits Of Free Play For Children:
Develops imagination and the ability to generate unique ideas.
Builds motor planning skills as children learn to carry out actions.
Supports decision-making skills as children make choices alone or in groups.
Fosters independence and children’s ability to entertain themselves.
Develops social and collaborative play skills as children share, take turns, and solve problems.
Provides opportunities for children to discover new interests and skills.
GROWING UP GREEN
Time With Nature Encourages Environmental Awareness
Part of the STAR Curriculum, “Growing Up Green” integrates activities and discussions that encourage environmental awareness.
As they explore nature and learn about ecosystems, children develop a sense of responsibility for their world, and learn to live in sustainable ways.
RELATIONSHIPS & CONNECTIONS
Responsive Care For The Most Successful Start
Parents and caregivers are vital to the successful development of emotional connections, intellect, and language skills. We honor that responsibility and work with parents to build nurturing, responsive relationships with children and families.
With continuity of care and a deep sense of security, in a safe, loving environment, your child can develop to their full potential.
