The program at Little Pros Academy has written curriculum plans based on knowledge of child development and learning, and assessment of individual needs and interests. The learning environment and activities for children reflect the program’s philosophy and goals.

In each of our five ages, teachers have clearly defined goals for individual children that guide curriculum planning. With the enhanced ratios we provide, the teachers are able to be involved with smaller classroom sizes. Teachers accurately assess the skills and progress of each child in the program through the use of observations, assessment tools, and activity records. Teachers identify children who experience difficulties in behavior or development, and develop a plan to help children acquire acceptable behavior or develop skills as needed. Teachers adapt plans in response to the needs, strengths, or interests of individual children.

The program is designed to be inclusive of all children. Staff will address the priorities and concerns of all families. The daily schedule provides a balance of activities in consideration of the child’s total daily experience with attention to the following dimensions of scheduling:

Daily Schedule

• All age groups play outdoors daily, if conditions protect children’s health and safety.
• The schedule provides for alternating periods for quiet and active play.
• A balance of large muscle and small muscle activity is provided.
• More than one option for group activity (individual, small group, or large group) is available to children most of the day. Infants and toddlers are not expected to function as a large group.
• A balance of child-initiated and teacher-initiated activity is provided. The amount of time spent in teacher-initiated, large-group activity is limited.

Developmentally appropriate materials and equipment are available to infants, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergartners, and school-age children. Materials and equipment that project diverse racial, gender, and age attributes are selected and used. Teachers provide books, dolls, toys, dress-up props, photos, pictures, and music that reflect the lives of the children and families served in the classroom as well as images that accurately reflect the diversity of society. Staff communicates with parents to ensure that they are aware of materials that are important to the children at home.

Active media that children can control, such as videotaping, cameras, audiotaping and developmentally appropriate computer software may be in the classroom as active learning materials, along with other materials that children can choose. If such technology is used, the program provides equal access for all children to such active media experiences.