Programs Vista
Programs
Honey Bear Preschool and Child Care Center’s programs are planned around the young child’s developmental abilities. Chronological age is used as a guide for placement when other assessment data is not available; however, chronological age is only one of the many factors considered. In fact, early childhood research indicates that individual growth and development patterns among young children are so varied that grouping according to developmental abilities is much more satisfactory than grouping with age as the primary criteria.
We believe in the benefits of cross-age childhood experiences and therefore arrange our programs to allow older children to interact with younger ones under the supervision of the classroom teacher.
Classroom Placement
The center currently operates five classrooms: Cuddle Bears (Infant – Toddler Center), Teddy Bears (Two-three year olds), Honey Bears (Three-four year olds), Bear Clubs (Pre-Kindergarten) and Kindergarten/First Grade. There are a number of elements that determine when a child is ready to move up to the next class. First, the child’s age, the composition of the class the child is entering, the child’s developmental readiness, the group size and teacher to child ratios. We use the following approximate age guidelines when placing a child in the classroom. Infants-Toddlers – birth to twenty-three months; Teddy Bears – twenty-four to thirty-six months; Honey Bears – three to four years of age; Bear Cubs – four to five years of age. However, if the child is ready we may waive the age guidelines and move the child sooner or keep him or her a bit longer if she or he is not quite ready.
In each classroom, it is our goal to create a community where the children develop friendships and a sense of security. As children are growing and changing each month, our curriculum is individualized in each classroom as is developmentally appropriate. Rather than constantly moving the children as they grow, we adjust and change the curriculum. We will give parents appropriate notice when we plan on moving a child to a new classroom. We also will develop a plan for transitioning each child that will include visits to the new classroom. Our program is designed to support the children successfully articulating into a primary school system. Once a child is ready to move into a new classroom, a parent-teacher conference will be scheduled to discuss developmental goals, program routines and classroom curriculum. This is a chance for parents to share with teachers, information about their child and to refresh their memory about school policies and procedures.
Child Assessment/ Parent Conferences
Children are assessed on an on-going basis. Report cards are distributed in January and June assessing where the children are developmentally on a variety on indices including social and emotional skills, fine and gross motor skills as well as academic skills. Parent conferences are available as needed.