Curriculum
We provide an opportunity for every child to develop at his or her own pace:
Physically
To develop the whole-child, their small and large muscles, eye-hand coordination, proprioception skills and overall healthy growing bodies. With lots of outdoor time spent running, climbing, jumping and moving to music, they develop their large muscles. Using puzzles, manipulatives, various writing implements and sensory materials, their small muscles are refined.
Socially
To be able to play, communicate, cooperate, and negotiate with others of all culturally diverse backgrounds and abilities. Children learn how to navigate social groups and situations with guidance and encouragement from caring teachers. They begin to understand routines and schedules. We help children use language to get their needs met and understood in positive and productive ways.
Emotionally
To gain confidence and understand oneself. We help children identify feelings and emotions while developing self regulation skills and a positive self-image. We offer outlets and strategies for children to cope with stress and big emotions as they work through times of equilibrium and disequilibrium.
Creatively
To explore and express oneself freely. Through open-ended experiences children engage in creative arts activities, dramatic play themes and linguistic articulation. A variety of materials like arts and craft materials, props, puppets, dress up clothes and dolls are offered in all classrooms.
Spiritually
To foster Christian values in all children. Our Chapel Special imparts the message of Christianity through themes of love, kindness, caring for others and doing good. Throughout the day we offer thanks for our food at snack and lunch time with short prayers and original prayers written for the themes we are working on.
Cognitively
To learn skills necessary for successful, future learning. Reasoning, memory, thinking, problem-solving and information processing are just some of the skills. These and more contribute to developing a healthy self-esteem, confidence and the ability to become a contributing member of society.
How we do it:
Teaching Methods
Our curriculum focuses on open-ended play opportunities that allow children to use their imagination, learn new ideas, explore the world around them, move their bodies, and express themselves creatively. These hands-on experiences with concrete and natural materials help to reinforce a multitude of skills that develop the whole child.
Readiness Skills
Throughout our curriculum, children learn and interact with the sounds of language and literacy through phonemic awareness activities, the concept of the written word with pre-writing experiences, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), all of which permeate our curriculum both indoors and outdoors.
Developmentally Appropriate Practices
We meet children where they are and where we think they should be. Children develop at their own individual rates based on their experiences and interactions. Skills at these young ages can look different from child to child. We tailor our learning activities to meet their individual, cultural and age-appropriate levels ensuring that children feel successful yet challenged.
Additionally...
Our Nature Playground
We are fortunate to have an amazing playground that promotes a love of nature and curiosity. Children observe and interact with nature daily. They enjoy our mud kitchens, large sandboxes, riding paths, garden beds, large grassy areas, shaded outdoor activity areas, climbing structures, discovery houses and more. Our classes play outside every day in every kind of weather except in the most inclement conditions.
We offer three weekly specials:
Chapel
As a Christian based preschool, Chapel is a central part of our curriculum. Each week, the children learn about God and his love for all children. Rather than focus on the religious aspects of the faith, we instill Christian values, such as kindness, love and gentleness, through age-appropriate play and stories.
Nature Nook
As a nature loving preschool, we follow the seasons in our monthly curriculum. Additionally, children are introduced to natural science topics each week during "Nature Nook." Taking advantage of the spacious fields surrounding our school, our Nature Nook program includes everything from vernal pool observations to bug investigations to tracking animal prints.
Music and Movement
Through our weekly music special, children will explore rhythm and melody through music and using musical instruments. They will learn new vocabulary and rhymes through fingerplays and sing-alongs. They will have an opportunity to learn how their body moves in different ways to music.
What Our Families Say
“Our son started at Joyful Noises a little over a year and a half ago. We have been nothing but pleased with the care, education and environment he has been provided since starting at JNP. The teachers, administrators and director go out of their way to make going to "school" special for the children every single day. The activities, play and relationships they have built are incredible; we love JNP and would highly recommend it to any prospective families in the area.”