2017-2018 DTPK Curriculum
"MOTION"
Welcome to the 2017-2018 Dreaming Tree Pre-K Curriculum! This school year our students will be studying things that Move! Using motion as a context our students will be studying math, science, language, and social emotional skills. In addition the units allow for the practice of fine and gross motor abilities. Our curriculum uses the New York State Prekindergarten Foundation for the Common Core as a standard, otherwise known as The Standards.
The Curriculum is mapped out to cover a full school year with 10 units containing 4 subunits each. However, there is plenty of room to adjust according to a student’s interests and the success of the learners in any given topic.
Each unit will have a dialogic reading component which is an interactive technique based on the research of Grover J. Whitehurst. This technique encourages teachers to prompt students with questions and engage in discussions while reading to them.
For those in our class whose children speak primarily French, (Créole Haïtien), or Spanish we have assistance. One of our assistant teachers speaks Spanish and we have a French speaking volunteer coming three times a week for the first month of school. She will stay for Circle Time and the first activity of the day.
For French (Créole Haïtien) Speakers:
Pour ceux de notre classe dont les enfants parlent principalement le français et l'espagnol nous avons arrangé pour l'aide. Un de nos professeurs assistants parle espagnol et nous avons un bénévole francophone venant trois fois par semaine, pour le premier mois de l'école, pour le temps du cercle et la première activité de la journée.
For Spanish Speakers:
Para aquellos en nuestra clase cuyos niños hablan principalmente francés y español, hemos organizado para la ayuda. Uno de nuestros maestros asistentes habla español y tenemos un voluntario de habla francesa que viene tres veces a la semana, para el primer mes de escuela, para el tiempo del círculo y la primera actividad del día.
Included in our daily routine which we consider part of the curriculum is:
1) Circle Time - Each morning we go over our daily schedule, date, day of the week, month and weather. We, also, ask our students to tell us what they liked and didn't like about what we studied the day before.
2) Meals - We include the students in simple preparation, like putting together sandwiches, arranging food on a plate, or mixing dips.
3) Art Experience - Along with the requisite amount of traditional children's songs, (The Wheels on the Bus etc. . .), and artwork, ( coloring books etc. . .), Students will be exposed to many other types of music, painting, and sculpture. These will include Jazz, Samba, Blues, Classical, West African, Salsa, and Classical Chinese music as well as painters, such as, Rothko, Van Gough, Monet, Keith Haring and the sculptures of Brancusi, Rodin, Degas and David Smith. See our Art page for more about this.
4) The Run Around (Gross Motor Development) - Where students will have both structured exercise, like simple yoga positions and jumping jacks, as well as, ample time to run around - free play, either outside in the playground or in our well padded indoor area.
5) Choice Time - Students choose what leraning center and activity they want to do. This is a chance for emergent interest and play based learning to take place.
Below you will find links to a PDF outlining the curriculum in full detail, the New York State Educational Standards,
our daily Schedule, and 3 sample lesson plans. Two lesson plans are from our Machines unit and one, about the 5 senses, is from our Humans Move unit, the first unit of the school year. However, we will review it during our Machines unit to remind students what senses we need to drive cars and pilot planes.
In addition there are three diagrams. The first summarizes the entire year, the 2nd is a pop out of 1st week in the car subunit and the 3rd are activities from our week in the airplane subunit categorized by educational domain.
The Curriculum is mapped out to cover a full school year with 10 units containing 4 subunits each. However, there is plenty of room to adjust according to a student’s interests and the success of the learners in any given topic.
Each unit will have a dialogic reading component which is an interactive technique based on the research of Grover J. Whitehurst. This technique encourages teachers to prompt students with questions and engage in discussions while reading to them.
For those in our class whose children speak primarily French, (Créole Haïtien), or Spanish we have assistance. One of our assistant teachers speaks Spanish and we have a French speaking volunteer coming three times a week for the first month of school. She will stay for Circle Time and the first activity of the day.
For French (Créole Haïtien) Speakers:
Pour ceux de notre classe dont les enfants parlent principalement le français et l'espagnol nous avons arrangé pour l'aide. Un de nos professeurs assistants parle espagnol et nous avons un bénévole francophone venant trois fois par semaine, pour le premier mois de l'école, pour le temps du cercle et la première activité de la journée.
For Spanish Speakers:
Para aquellos en nuestra clase cuyos niños hablan principalmente francés y español, hemos organizado para la ayuda. Uno de nuestros maestros asistentes habla español y tenemos un voluntario de habla francesa que viene tres veces a la semana, para el primer mes de escuela, para el tiempo del círculo y la primera actividad del día.
Included in our daily routine which we consider part of the curriculum is:
1) Circle Time - Each morning we go over our daily schedule, date, day of the week, month and weather. We, also, ask our students to tell us what they liked and didn't like about what we studied the day before.
2) Meals - We include the students in simple preparation, like putting together sandwiches, arranging food on a plate, or mixing dips.
3) Art Experience - Along with the requisite amount of traditional children's songs, (The Wheels on the Bus etc. . .), and artwork, ( coloring books etc. . .), Students will be exposed to many other types of music, painting, and sculpture. These will include Jazz, Samba, Blues, Classical, West African, Salsa, and Classical Chinese music as well as painters, such as, Rothko, Van Gough, Monet, Keith Haring and the sculptures of Brancusi, Rodin, Degas and David Smith. See our Art page for more about this.
4) The Run Around (Gross Motor Development) - Where students will have both structured exercise, like simple yoga positions and jumping jacks, as well as, ample time to run around - free play, either outside in the playground or in our well padded indoor area.
5) Choice Time - Students choose what leraning center and activity they want to do. This is a chance for emergent interest and play based learning to take place.
Below you will find links to a PDF outlining the curriculum in full detail, the New York State Educational Standards,
our daily Schedule, and 3 sample lesson plans. Two lesson plans are from our Machines unit and one, about the 5 senses, is from our Humans Move unit, the first unit of the school year. However, we will review it during our Machines unit to remind students what senses we need to drive cars and pilot planes.
In addition there are three diagrams. The first summarizes the entire year, the 2nd is a pop out of 1st week in the car subunit and the 3rd are activities from our week in the airplane subunit categorized by educational domain.
