CURRICULUM | Pacific Coop Nursery School

Our program offers a play-based curriculum with emphasis placed on the process rather than on a specific end product.

The curriculum is thematic and multi-modal, meaning that information is presented within a periodic cycle over two to three weeks for each theme (e.g. colors, outer space, safety, winter celebrations), and themes are presented through a variety of activities used to explore many facets of the theme as well as used to reinforce active learning process (e.g. painting pictures of planets, playing language games with planet names, etc).

Children respond and interact to the program at their own level of readiness, and this is greatly respected and supported at our school. It is important to remember that with pre-schoolers among their first tasks are organizing and controlling their bodies, then their minds, and, with our help, their feelings. As our regular program explores the many themes throughout the year, these explorations facilitate the children's development of their bodies, minds and feelings through an ever exciting program. The variety of activities offered through the thematic approach exposes the children to a broad spectrum of ideas, concepts and physical challenges. The processes that we emphasize at the preschool are truly the precursors to the basic skills learned in kindergarten.

Examples of thematic curriculum

MUSIC WEEK

Activity Area	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Art	Decorating rhythm sticks	Make a music shaker (from plastic bottle	Create a horn instrument	Finger paint while listening to classical music	Make a bell tambourine
Varied / Cognitive	Tap Math game with cards and Rhythm sticks	Glass acoustics - predict pitch	Sounds from around the world - LOTTO	Dictation (story writing) If I were in a marching band	What instrument is missing
Large motor	"I've got music" - act out play	Musical Chairs to music from around the world	Play marching band music - march with instruments	Hide objects - use piano for high/low pitch to find (hot/ cold game)	Act out "the happy hedgehog" play

PLANT WEEK

Activity Area	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Art	Assemble a picture with cut flowrs, leaves, etc	Make a Sunflower Necklace	Create a seed collage	Make a bee puppet	Paint a carrot
Varied / Cognitive	Plant lima beans to sprout in paper towel/bag	Dictation (story telling) "Mary Mary quite contrary how does your garden grow"?	Plant Violets in Clay Pot	Bee pollination of a flower - math game	Make Carrot Salad
Large Motor	Dig and prepare the garden	Plant organic vegetables in our garden	Continue planing in our garden	Net/hammock swing with grabbing paper flowers	Act out the carrot seed growing