Curriculum

Our curriculum is aligned with the Rhode Island Early Learning Standards (RIELDS). Daily activities will touch upon physical health and motor development, social and emotional, language, literacy, cognitive, math, science, creative arts, and social studies. Curriculum is a living entity and always willing to adapt to the individual child. Lessons and activities, materials and equipment, interactions with other children as well as with caregivers are elements of high quality curriculum which New Beginnings offers. 

Physical Health and Motor Development

The emphasis in this domain is on physical health and motor development as an integral part of children’s overall well-being. The healthy development of young children is directly related to practicing healthy behaviors, strengthening large and small muscles, and developing strength and coordination. As their gross and fine motor skills develop, all children experience new opportunities to explore and investigate the world around them. Conversely, physical health problems can impede a child’s development and are associated with poor child outcomes. As such, physical development is critical for development and learning in all other domains. The components within this domain address health and safety practices, gross motor development, and fine motor development. (RIELDS, 2011)

Social and Emotional Development

Social and emotional development encompasses young children’s evolving capacity to form close and positive adult and peer relationships; to actively explore and act on the environment in the process of learning about the world around them; and to experience, regulate, and express a full range of positive and negative emotions in socially and culturally appropriate ways. These skills, developed in early childhood, are essential for lifelong learning and success. A child’s temperament (traits that are biologically based and that remain consistent over time) plays a significant role in every child’s development and should be carefully considered when determining when and how a child should meet social and emotional learning goals. Healthy social and emotional development depends on consistent, positive interactions with educators and other familiar adults who appreciate each child’s individual temperament. This appreciation is central to promoting positive self-esteem, confidence, and trust in relationships. The components within this domain address children’s relationships with others—adults and other children—their sense of personal identity and self-confidence, and their ability to regulate their emotions and behavior. (RIELDS, 2011)

Language Development

The development of children’s early language skills is critically important for their future academic success. Language development indicators reflect a child’s ability to understand increasingly complex lan - guage (receptive language skills), a child’s increasing proficiency when expressing ideas (expressive language skills), and a child’s growing understanding of and ability to follow appropriate social and conversational rules. The components within this do - main address receptive and expressive language, pragmatics,17 and English language development specific to dual language learners. As a growing number of children live in households where the primary spoken language is not English, this domain also addresses the language development of dual language learners. Unlike most of the other progressions in this document, however, specific age thresholds do not define the indicators for English language development (or for development in any other language). Children who become dual language learners are exposed to their second language for the first time at different ages. As a result, one child may start the process of developing second-language skills at birth and another child may start at four, making the age thresholds inappropriate. So instead of using age, The Standards use research-based stages to outline a child’s progress in English language development. It is important to note that there is no set time for how long it will take a given child to progress through these stages. Progress depends upon the unique characteristics of the child, his or her exposure to English in the home and other environments, the child’s motivation to learn English, and other factors. (RIELDS,2011)

Literacy

Development in the domain of literacy serves as a foundation for reading and writing acquisition. The development of early literacy skills is critically important for children’s future academic and personal success. Yet children enter kindergarten varying considerably in these skills; and it is difficult for a child who starts behind to close the gap once he or she enters school (National Early Literacy Panel, 2008). The components within this domain address phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, print awareness, text comprehension and interest, and emergent writing. As a growing number of children live in households where the primary spoken language is not English, this domain also addresses the literacy development of dual language learners. However, specific age thresholds do not define the indicators for literacy development in English, unlike most of the other developmental progressions. Children who become dual language learners are exposed to English (in this country) for the first time at different ages. As a result, one child may start the process of developing English literacy skills very early in life and another child not until age four, making the age thresholds inappropriate. So instead of using age, The Standards use research-based stages to outline a child’s progress in literacy development. It is important to note that there is no set time for how long it will take a given child to progress through these stages. Progress depends upon the unique characteristics of the child, his or her exposure to English in the home and other environments, the child’s motivation to learn English, and other factors. (RIELDS, 2011)

Cognitive Development 

Development in the domain of cognition involves the processes by which young children grow and change in their abilities to pay attention to and think about the world around them. Infants and young children rely on their senses and relationships with others; exploring objects and materials in different ways and interacting with adults both contribute to children’s cognitive development. Everyday experiences and interactions provide opportunities for young children to learn how to solve problems, differentiate between familiar and unfamiliar people, attend to things they find interesting even when distractions are present, and understand how their actions affect others. Research in child development has highlighted specific aspects of cognitive development that are particularly relevant for success in school and beyond. These aspects fall under a set of cognitive skills called executive function and consist of a child’s working memory, attention and inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. Together, these skills function like an “air traffic control system,” helping a child manage and respond to the vast body of the information and experiences he or she is exposed to daily. The components within this domain address logic and reasoning skills, memory and working memory, attention and inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. (RIELDS, 2011)

Math

The development of mathematical knowledge and skills contributes to children’s ability to make sense of the world and to solve problems they encounter in their everyday lives. Knowledge of basic math concepts and the skill to use math operations to solve problems are fundamental aspects of school readiness and are predictive of later success in school and in life. The components within this domain address number sense and quantity; number relationships and operations; classification and patterning; measurement, comparison, and ordering; and geometry and spatial sense. (RIELDS, 2011)

Science

Children are scientists from the moment they are born, using their senses to observe and gain knowledge about the world around them. As they grow older, they become increasingly more adept at using their observations to make predictions and to plan investigations in order to solve problems and answer questions. These skills are important aspects of school readiness as they provide a process for children to ask and answer their own questions by absorbing and making sense of information. The components within this domain address a child’s ability to use scientific methods—observing, planning for investigations, collecting and analyzing data, and communicating information—as well as indicators of a child’s content knowledge of the natural and physical world. (RIELDS, 2011)

Social Studies

The area of social studies involves children’s ability to under - stand how they relate to their family and community, their understanding of social norms, and their ability to recognize and respect similarities and difference in people. In addition to helping children develop an understanding of time (past, present, and future) and place (geography), these skills are important because they also help children place themselves within a broader context of the world around them and to think beyond the walls of their home and early childhood classroom. The components within this domain address children’s understanding of self, family, and community as well as basic geography and a sense of past, present, and future.(RIELDS, 2011)

Creative Arts

The arts provide children with a vehicle and organizing framework to express ideas and feelings. Music, movement, drama, and visual arts stimulate children to use words, manipulate tools and media, and solve problems in ways that simultaneously convey meaning and are aesthetically pleasing. As such, participation in the creative arts is an excellent way for young children to learn and use creative skills in other domains. The component within this domain addresses a child’s willingness to experiment with and participate in the creative arts.(RIELDS, 2011)

• To guide early educators in the development of curriculum 

• To inform families about learning milestones 

• To provide a framework for implementing high-quality early childhood programs 

• To promote optimal early learning trajectories into kindergarten