Curriculum

At Wood Horse Early Learning we practice play based emergent curriculum. We explore children's interests to enrich relevant concepts and ideas. We strive to provide learning experiences that expand children's existing knowledge and skill sets. We work to support all aspects of the developing child in our classroom environment and curriculum. Some of the developmental areas we work to support are: social and emotional, gross and fine motor, self-help skills, language, and cognitive development. We try to provide an appropriate balance between free exploration and one-on-one teacher time. Written and spoken language, counting, shapes, color, music, and proper health practices are integral parts of our daily routine. 

Social Emotional :

Puppets, story telling,baby dolls, pretend play, group games, and interacting with peers are activities that support children in forming friendships, communicating emotions, developing self-awareness, and building trust, empathy, and compassion. Teachers assist children in managing feelings, recognizing emotions in others, taking turns, sharing, and resolving conflict. Healthy social emotional relationships are the foundation for school readiness and engaged learning.

Gross Motor:

Throwing balls, push-toys, running, skipping, jumping, dancing, and balance games are activities that support children's health, coordination, spatial awareness, balance, muscle tone, and sensory processing. Our environment encourages movement and physical activity. Strong gross motor skills promote healthy lifestyle, well-being, and confidence.

Fine Motor:

Drawing, painting, lacing beads, play-dough, and tongs are activities that support children in developing control, precision, dexterity, and pincer grasp. We equip children with materials to develop hand-eye coordination and use their hands and fingers in a variety of ways. Early fine motor skills are the precursor to writing and the use of tools.  

Self Help Skills:

Dress-up clothes, family style dining, using utensils and cups without lids, hand-washing, potty-training, and daily chores are activities that support children in developing self-feeding, dressing, and healthy hygiene habits. Our routine provides consistency, predictability, guidance, and ample opportunity to practice these skills. Mastering self-care tasks provides children with a sense of independence, empowerment, and autonomy. 

Language:

Reading, music, singing, and talking with teachers and classmates are activities that support children in developing number and letter recognition, vocabulary, and communication skills. Our classroom exposes children to written and spoken language through independent and group reading activities, writing, descriptive conversations, and social engagement. Language skills give children the ability to follow directions, exchange information, and understand their world. 

Cognitive:

Puzzles, sorting and matching games, blocks, counting, music, and water play are activities that support children in developing problem solving skills and complex concepts such as prediction, time, conservation, representation, and sequencing. Our program facilitates repeated exploration of cause and effect relationships through the process of trial and error. Early cognitive skills supply the infrastructure for the development of memory, intellect, and intelligence.