Curriculum Overview
The curriculum at intellichildren is based on accepted current early childhood educational theory and methodology. It is organized around the basic tenet that children learn first about themselves, their close environment and their families and then build upon that learning to expand their horizons according to available interests and experimental opportunities. Curriculum at intellichildren focuses on the developmental needs of the whole child – emphasizing the integration of cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development.

In addition to attending to the developmental needs of the whole child, our curriculum attempts to be anti-bias, non-sexist and multi-cultural. An anti-bias curriculum:

1. Fosters each child’s sense of self-identity;
2. Fosters acceptance of diversity among people by allowing children to ask about and explore differences;
3. Encourages critical thinking about bias by helping children to ask about and explore differences;
4. Encourages empathy toward others; and,
5. Fosters each child’s ability to stand up for him/herself and others in the face of bias.

Our anti-bias curriculum is supported by a wide variety of bias-free books, dolls and other learning materials as well as specific teacher-directed activities and experiences that are a regular part of each classroom. We strongly encourage your support, involvement and feedback regarding our efforts.

The intellichildren staff plans and coordinates curriculum around the routines, events, and themes that have meaning in a young child’s life – holidays, what parents do at work, birth of a sibiling, going to the dentist, etc. Curriculum themes are designed to include opportunities for children to develop appropriate cognitive, physical social and emotional skills through: small and large group activities; self-selected and self-directed independent activities; and individual teacher/child interactions. Teachers set up the classroom environment to allow children to learn to make choices and to care for their environment. They provide parents with information about the curriculum including calendars, lesson plans, field trips and opportunities for parent involvement.

Programs
intellichildren’s programs are planned around the young child’s developmental abilities. Chronological age is used as a guide for placement when other assessment data is not available; however, chronological age is only one of the many factors considered. In fact, early childhood research indicates that individual growth and development patterns among young children are so varied that grouping according to developmental abilities is much more satisfactory than grouping with age as the primary criteria.

We believe in the benefits of cross-age childhood experiences and therefore arrange our programs to allow older children to interact with younger ones under the supervision of the classroom teacher.

Classroom Placement
Our centers currently operates up to six classrooms: Infant Center, Toddler Center, Two-year old, Three-year old, Pre-Kindergarten (Four to FIve-year old). There are a number of elements that determine when a child is ready to move up to the next class. First, the child’s age, the composition of the class the child is entering, the child’s developmental readiness, the group size and teacher to child ratios. We use the following approximate age guidelines when placing a child in the classroom. Infants – birth to twelve months; Toddlers - eleven to twenty-one months; twenty-one to twenty-four months; twenty-four to thirty-six months; three to four years of age; four to five years of age. However, if the child is ready we may waive the age guidelines and move the child sooner.

In each classroom, it is our goal to create a community where the children develop friendships and a sense of security. As children are growing and changing each month, our curriculum is individualized in each classroom as is developmentally appropriate. Rather than constantly moving the children as they grow, we adjust and change the curriculum. We will give parents appropriate notice when we plan on moving a child to a new classroom. We also will develop a plan for transitioning each child that will include visits to the new classroom. Our program is designed to support the children successfully articulating into a primary school system. Once a child is ready to move into a new classroom, a parent-teacher conference will be scheduled to discuss developmental goals, program routines and classroom curriculum. This is a chance for parents to share with teachers, information about their child and to refresh their memory about school policies and procedures.

Child Assessment/ Parent Conferences
Children are assessed on an on-going basis. Formal parent conferences are scheduled during the fall and spring; however, parents and teachers alike should schedule conferences as needed.