Curriculum

LSYC has designed its curriculum to meet the high standards of a quality early childhood education. By providing a supportive

environment, we make sure each child receives exactly what they need.  We offer an amazingly comprehensive curriculum to assist each child in developing to their fullest potential during their all-important early years of development.  We provide your child with a

WIDE variety of special experiences.  Our multifaceted curriculum keeps interest levels high and learning potentials at a maximum. 

Upon graduation, each child has an incredibly solid foundation on which to build - physically, emotionally, socially, cognitively,

linguistically, and even musically - while also building independence through self-help skills.

Our curriculum is implemented in a very relaxed, nurturing, loving environment where each child's

physical and emotional needs are first priority in all classrooms. 

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OUTSIDE

A Scandinavian proverb says, "There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing."  

We are firm believers in the importance of getting outside every day.... and not just during our regularly scheduled outside time.

This is not only beneficial for practicing gross motor skills on our extensive playgrounds, but a child's body needs sunshine to create

vitamin D, which is crucial for bone development and their immune system.  With our guidance, the children also learn to assess

risk and weigh consequences, which helps to build confidence.  There are only three things that prevent us from going outside

each day: heavy rain, sleet, and frigid temperatures..... and occasionally poor air quality.  

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MEALS​

Parents provide their own child with all necessary food and drink in an insulated lunch box. We provide extra food for those who occasionally forget or run out of food and are still hungry.  Each classroom has a microwave for heating food up and a refrigerator.  

Snacks are around 9/9:30am and mid-afternoon. Lunch is around 11:45am/12 noon​. Of course, the eating schedule for our

Jr Tenderfoots varies, depending upon each one's needs and daily schedules.

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NAP / QUIET TIME

Nap time for our Sr Tenderfoots is around 12:30/1pm. The Jr Tenderfoots obviously nap as needed. We provide all necessary

mats and bedding. Quiet time for our preschoolers occurs right after lunch and consists of playing quietly by themselves in the

classroom while listening to soft music for up to half an hour. Accommodations can also be made for parents who wish for

their preschooler to have a nap.

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THEMES

The activities offered throughout the day are usually based on weekly or monthly themes.  These themes change yearly,

depending upon the interests of the children - thus creating a varying curriculum, which is great for those who are with us for

several years.  Almost any topic can be adapted for young children, who are naturally curious and receptive to new knowledge.

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ARRIVALS

While waiting for everyone to arrive, each child is cheerfully greeted and assisted in finding an activity to help ease the parent/child separation.  The children have free choice among the activities available in their classrooms. The Tenderfoots usually also have a

special, high-interest arrival activity available as another possible choice upon arrival.  We ask that parents have their children here

no later than 8:30am, which is when our scheduled activities begin for the day....although we certainly understand that

this is not always possible. 

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MORNING AND MIDDAY MEETINGS

For our preschoolers, meetings commence with a movement activity. The schedule for the day is reviewed and a Lucky Duck

(helper for the day) is chosen.  The calendar and weather are updated, a story is read, new items are counted, and songs are sung

(including the alphabet song).  These meetings may also include a quick letter activity or alphabet game, labeling something

in the classroom (which enhances language development, letter recognition, and many pre-reading skills), a Question of the Day,

or a Mighty Minute (a quick cognitive and/or physical challenge).  Which activities are offered depends on where each class is at developmentally.  (The Morning Meeting in our Sr Tenderfoot classroom usually consists of the calendar, weather, singing ABC's,

counting, reading a story, and singing some songs.)

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STORY TIME

Story time is a scheduled daily event and a spontaneous experience that occurs many times throughout the day in all classrooms.  

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SMALL GROUPS​​

We carry our weekly/monthly themes into our small group activities as much as possible.

During small groups, the children participate in a wide variety of FUN activities and games,

using varied materials and methods aimed at developing each child's pre-reading, writing and math skills. 

Our math is experiential and hands-on, our reading/literacy is phonemic and phonetic. 

Each child participates in the activities they are ready for and interested in.  No child is ever forced to participate.

The activities are play-based and everyone usually wants a turn!  

When a child is not participating in a planned, small group activity, they choose among the many centers available in the classroom.

Our small group activities cover topics such as oral expression (speech/language), spatial relationships, shapes, colors, classifying,

visual discrimination, counting, one-to-one correspondence, using scissors, using pencils, writing names, opposites, rhyming, numbers, patterns, following directions, letter recognition, letter sounds, segmentation, sequencing sizes or stories, weighing/measuring, etc.

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SPANISH​

Did you know that early exposure to a foreign language makes it easier to master later in life? 

It has also been linked to enhancing brain development in young children. 

Our preschoolers begin building a basic Spanish vocabulary and can eventually answer some basic questions in Spanish.

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SECOND STEP

Social/emotional development is obviously an ongoing process in all of our classrooms on a daily basis. 

However, we also use a special program with our preschoolers called Second Step, which intentionally teaches a wide variety of social/emotional skills through the use of stories and puppets.  

We are also a S.E.E.D. certified school (Schools Excelling in Emotional Development). 

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ART

Creative art is explored in the art center, where a variety of materials are offered and the process and product are open ended. 

Craft art is also offered, where directions are given and certain materials are offered and all resulting products are treasured.

We also have our own pottery wheel that we bring out from time to time.

Even our youngest tenderfoots enjoy special, closely supervised projects. 

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SCIENCE

Our preschoolers often don safety goggles to perform many simple, hands-on, teacher-led science activities/experiments. 

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MUSIC / MOVEMENT

In order for children to benefit from a music program, four essential elements must be present: 

the opportunity to sing, dancing/creative movement, listening to music, and playing instruments. 

We strive to cover all of these areas.

Music in an integral part of our daily activities. We play musical games, provide creative movement activities, play rhythm

instruments, invite musicians to come in to play for us, listen to music from different cultures, etc. 

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FIELD TRIPS / VISITORS / SPECIALS​

Through the year, we have enjoyed a variety of field trips, i.e. apple picking, pumpkin patch, ice skating, a variety of farms,

Hildene, local businesses, a sugar shack, etc.  Transportation is provided in the school's minivan and staff vehicles.

Although parents may only drive their own children, they are still wholeheartedly encouraged to chaperone and join in the fun. 

Through the years we have also enjoyed many visitors, such as a firefighter and fire truck, a state plow truck,

the Tooth Fairy, the Cat in the Hat, a llama, a pony, pets, grandparents for a picnic snack, dads for a continental breakfast,

moms for a luncheon, gymnastics classes, Hullabaloo classes, yoga classes, etc. 

We also schedule special days, such as Pajama Days, a Winter Beach Party, a fiesta, a Chinese New Year celebration,

Wild West Day, Dr. Seuss Day, Pirate Day, Medieval Day, Carnival Day, etc. 

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SIGN LANGUAGE

Sign language enhances learning for kinesthetic learners, is beneficial for students with speech difficulties, builds finger dexterity

and fine motor skills, promotes creative expression and language development, and improves attention span.  Additionally, since

infants master manual dexterity much sooner than spoken language, teaching them various signs enables them to be active

communicators at a much earlier age. Our tenderfoot teachers teach sign language by routinely using it throughout the day.

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TENDERFOOTS

Child development experts agree that proper stimulation provided during the first 12 months of life has more impact on the brain's development than at any other time in your child's future.  In order to broaden their experiential base, our Jr tenderfoots are exposed

to the widest variety of mediums available, stimulating their senses. These mediums are offered in such a way as to retain a relaxed atmosphere and not to cause over stimulation.  Our teachers provide each tenderfoot with a language-rich environment, constantly talking/commenting/repeating/singing....and reading many stories throughout the day.​ Emphasis in our Sr tenderfoot classroom is

placed on language development, fine and gross motor development, self-help skills, and social skills. Learning games and projects

are offered daily to those who wish to participate, which most of them usually do.