The Creative Curriculum®:
The Creative Curriculum®, a research-based, international program, is used in each classroom at every age level. It’s adapted for each developmental stage and balances both teacher-directed and child-initiated learning. While never losing sight of the primary importance of social/emotional development, the curriculum teaches concepts in:
- literacy
- math
- science
- social studies
- the arts
- technology
Kids Are Us Learning Centers’ administrative staff works with the teachers to develop a changing and responsive environment based on the children’s interests and needs. Learning centers are used in order to integrate lessons into purposeful and productive play experiences.
Children observe, explore and create in centers such as: dramatic play, blocks, cooking, toys and games, art, library discovery, sand and water, computers, music and movement. Students take things apart, build and draw to see what they can learn.
The Creative Curriculum® covers four areas that help the child to grow as a whole in a healthy and developmental way.
- Social/emotional: independence, self-confidence, self-control, following rules, making friends and being part of a group.
- Physical: large muscle skills such as balancing, running, jumping, throwing and catching. Small muscles for buttoning, stringing beads, cutting, drawing and writing.
- Cognitive: solving problems, asking questions, sorting, classifying, comparing and counting
- Language: communicating with words, participating in conversations, recognizing letters and words and beginning to write.
KAULC uses creativecurriculum.net. This takes all of the assessment, reporting and communication pieces of the curriculum and puts it on the Internet in a web-based format. Teachers have one centralized place to store all of the information about each student’s progress and development.
The most exciting feature of creativecurriculum.net is the ability for teachers to invite parents to stay in touch with their child and the classroom by giving them access to their child’s development through pictures, notes, reports and more.
Programs
Children are assigned to a class based on their age at the beginning of the school year. Every classroom utilizes The Creative Curriculum® with the lessons geared to each specific age group. Throughout the year, students participate in special events such as show & tell activities, field trips, seasonal class parties, the annual Thanksgiving dinner, and Christmas programs.
The Creative Curriculum® for Infants, Toddlers and Twos
focuses on the following:
- Theory and Research
- Knowing Infants, Toddlers and Twos
- Creating a Responsive Environment
- What Children are Learning
- Caring and Teaching
- Partnering with Families
- Routines and Experiences
The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool (ages 3-5)
focuses on the following:
- Theory and Research
- How Children Develop and Learn
- The Learning Environment
- The Teacher’s Role
- The Family’s Role
- Interest Areas