Curriculum

Our program is designed to offer children between the ages 2-5 years old the opportunity to participate in, language development, art, music and rhythm, dramatic play, building and construction, sand and water activities, arts and crafts, play doh, puzzles, finger painting, numbers, colors, counting and so much more. 

We have determined that our children learn and develop best through a variety of different curriculum programs and resources.  Therefore, depending on your child's age group, we use either Bright Start Learning Curriculum, Funsteps Curriculum, or a combination of both. 

Bright Start Learning Curriculum: Bright Start Learning Curriculum programs are based on the philosophy that children learn best through hands-on activities that address the needs of the whole child.  In addition, each Bright Start Learning curriculum program reflects the belief that children need a balance of child-initiated and teacher-facilitated activities each day.  This approach is grounded in sound child development theory and appropriate practices. Bright Start reviews state and national standards for early childhood education and takes these into account when planning curriculum.  Themes are used to introduce information and learning takes place as a child explores and manipulates real objects and events. 

Funsteps Curriculum:     We recently added Funsteps Curriculum into certain age groups of our center. We feel that by using either High Reach or Funsteps, we can provide a balanced curriculum program that allows our children to develop academically, socially, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually better than ever before. 

Lesson plans include free choice and provider directed activities. However children are free to choose their own fun. Listed below are examples of the activities that a child may participate in during the day. 

OUTDOORS:     We enjoy our outside play when the weather permits at least two times a day.   On the previous page you read a detailed description of how much learning take places in our school gardens.  In addition to gardening our outside activities include sand and water play, ball playing, bean bag games, climbing, swinging and free play. Outside safety is always taken into consideration and a main priority for my little ones so I do not provide teeter totters or large outdoor swimming pools, all my outside play equipment has been approved by the Hawaii Department of Human Services Childcare Licensing Division.

LITERATURE:     Stories that are funny and short, poems and rhymes will be shared with the children. Children will begin to answer to and respond to questions which begin increasing their comprehension and reasoning skills as well as their as well as their attention span. We offer a variety of books for reading. Books that tell stories, sound sounds and for just looking at the pictures.

We enjoy bringing in stories from Hawaii; some of our favorite are:  There’s A Monster In My Opu, The Story of Chinaman’s Hat, Koa’s Seed, S Went Surfing, and Who’s Slippers Are These? 

MANNERS:     All children will be taught manners, respect, consideration, and gentleness, honesty, kindness with boundaries and limits with lots of love. We believe all children need these things in order to feel secure and loved and to develop into all that we know they can be in life. 

VALUES:     Values are learned and taught through our interactions with each child, the way that we encourage them to interact with each other, & by sharing stories, songs and games.

Aloha	Unconditional love and respect for self, others & nature
Lokahi	Unity and Acceptance
Nahenahe	Compassion
Mahalo	Gratitude
Hiliani	Appreciation
Kalana	Trust, Honesty, Forgiveness
Malama	To Preserve & Care For

MUSIC:     Music, including songs, dances and finger plays will be provided routinely.  One of our primary teachers, Uncle Bison is a professional musician plus trained in Kindermusik an Early Literacy and Learning through music program.

ART:     Toddlers are introduced to a variety of mediums for creating their own art. Finger paints, large crayons, playdough, glitter, glue, stickers, etc… are an example of materials that we provide. 

Keep in mind that younger aged children aren’t expected to finish projects, just encouraged to try.  Most young toddlers do not understand the beginning, middle and the end concept and are more interested in how things work. Remember: it is the process that is very important at this age, not what it looks like when they are finished with it. 

GROUP TIME:     Group times are designed to attract the children to participate as a group. At group time we may, read, sing songs, do art activities or play games. No child is ever forced to join in the group only encouraged to.

DRAMATIC PLAY:     Dramatic Play encourages children to engage in play that helps them use their imagination, mimic adult actions, and to experiment with other children in social situations. Props for dramatic play are provided by in the forms of adult clothing such as hats, ties, shoes, and jewelry and some outfits such as doctor, fireman and police. Dolls, phones, playhouse and kitchen sets will use also. Children really enjoy their dress up time.  

MANIPULATIVES:     Small toys designed to develop small muscles and hand/eye coordination are available for free play and exploration. We offer legos, simple puzzles, nesting cups, beads and laces, stacking blocks and dolls for teaching how to button up clothing and tying shoes.