First Step School
Curriculum
School Curriculum
Curriculum for all ages: Infants - School Age
First Step School provides a learning environment for children from birth through age 12. The overall goal of the program is enhancement of the child's emotional, social, language and cognitive development. Children's experiences are planned to occur through play activities and planned education activities/lessons based on the Frog Street Press Curriculum. Children and teachers select activities for participation from a variety of planned experiences, some which are child initiated ("teachable moments") and some of which are teacher instructed through a written lesson plan. The Center program is based on a Cognitive Approach.
The center staff possesses a high level of expertise and training. The teachers observe and plan for developmentally appropriate experiences for the child within a group setting.
The curriculum is based on monthly themes and is center based. The written plan is built around this theme, along with the classroom set up for the month. Each month as the theme changes, so does the entire classroom contents, including toys, centers, bulletin boards, books, etc. The written plan includes art, language, social/emotional, cognitive and physical development, literacy, science, reading, math, fine motor skills, music, writing and sensory activities on a weekly basis. The lessons are meant to be fun so the children do not even know they are learning in the process.
PRESCHOOL 2 Instructional Program
(Reading, Math and Science through small group instruction; pull-out program)
When the children are in the Preschool II Class, they have the option to participate in the KINDERGARTEN READINES
program if they are 4 years old by September 1st of the new school year. Mrs. Tina, Owner and Director of First Step School is one instructor of the Mastermind's program. . Mrs. Tina's Bachelor's degree in Child Development with an Early Childhood Endorsement and Masters in Education bring a lot to the program. Mrs. Kimberly Schmidt is the Science/Social Studies instructor who brings many years of experience and fun to the table. Mrs. Kimberly has obtained her CDA in Preschool and is has almost completed college to obtain her teaching degree with a focus on Special Education. Mrs. Kaitlyn is the instructor for Math and is Mrs. Tina's daughter. She has been with First Step School since she was 7 weeks old. Mrs. Kaitlyn has a degree in Animal Science from Texas State University and has a lot of experience with the school. Mrs. Tina, Mrs. Kimberly and Mrs. Kaitlyn plan the lessons for their subject and implement the activities for about 20 minutes each day in small group instruction. The children are expected to do homework each night for about 15-20 minutes to reinforce what is being taught at school. When the children leave First Step at the end of the school year, they have more than exceeded the expectations of Kindergarten. This is an awesome opportunity for any child to excel academically, socially and to get ahead of the game!
COMPLETING FIRST STEP SCHOOL'S PRE-K PROGRAM, WILL HAVE YOUR CHILD MORE THAN READY FOR KINDERGARTEN!
Kinder readiness program in Reading:
Mrs. Tina read the book It Looked Like Spilt Milk. Then the students made their own painting of spilt milk designs. Creative expression in the works!
Kindergarten readiness program in Science
Group; Mrs. Kimberly and the students engaged in an experiment called, M&M's Color Candy Experiment. The students were asked to form a hypothesis before adding the water. Then after adding water, they were asked if their hypothesis was correct or not? Discussions continued.
Mrs. Sandy teaching a lesson before children check out library books on the Mobile Library Bus!
The Mobile Bus Library Bus comes weekly where stories are read and children can check out books to read at home.
Kindergarten readiness program in Math: Mrs. Kaitlyn taught the students about gallons, liter, quarts, etc. The students made their own GALLON MAN!
Kindergarten readiness program in Literacy group:
Mrs. Tina reading Chika-Chika Boom Boom during reading instruction. She uses props to coincide with the book while children come up one by one to place letters on the coconut tree!
At the beginning of the Kindergarten readiness program,
we learn to write our names in many different ways. Blaze Bierstedt is practicing his name using a block method. Great writing skills, eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills.
Kindergarten readiness program in Social Studies: The students talked about the American Flag, learned the Pledge of Allegiance and an activity page about our FLAG!
Outdoor play is good for large motor development, social skills, imagination and just FUN!!!!!
The toddler teacher read the book, The Three Bears, then the students used magnets to retell the story!
Infants engaging in "tummy time", an important developmental skill. We do tummy time at least 3 times a day!
The preschool class were using the scale to weight different objects. Many discoveries, predictions and results were learned!
Kindergarten readiness program in Math:
Preschool children learning one-to-one correspondence.
Compare and Contrast: The preschool students were discovering things that are alike and things that are different. Parker Washington compared the two pictures and found the ones that were the same!
Gross Motor Activity: When it is raining and we can't go outside, we do activities inside!
Feelings are important, everyone has them! Practicing different feelings and the way it may look.
First Friday Dress Up: We celebrated Dr. Seuss' Birthday. Teachers and students dressed as their favorite Dr. Seuss character.
We do dress up themes every FIRST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH!
First Friday Dress Up and 100th day of school! Look at these cute old toddlers~
This toddler loves her finished product that she engaged in stuffing at the Stuff and Animal Workshop we had at school!
Diversity: Learning about all types of people in the world and that everyone is special!
Early Literacy Skills: A toddler learning to manipulate a marker. Great for prewriting skills, fine motor skills and eye-hand control.
Literacy starts here!
Around the World Unit. She chose the country, India. She dressed-up and brought food that related to her Country to have a class feast.
Mrs. Tina, Director is dressed and brought food for the Around the World Unit to represent China.
Mrs. Kimberly the Assistant Director, chose the Country Egypt. She learned a lot of facts about Egypt!