Curriculum

Free choice is the core of the curriculum at Annandale Preschool. Each child is presented with multiple opportunities for activities and projects and is encouraged to exercise independence in deciding which task to pursue within the limits of the classroom setting. These varied choices emphasize our belief that by learning to interact with others, explore new situations, and play independently, children will develop the essential skills, self-confidence and self-esteem that help make learning a joy. Our curriculum is under the supervision of our teachers and our director, who are ultimately responsible to the parents on the board of directors.

At Annandale Cooperative Preschool, our curriculum is based on the well tested research of many specialists in the field of Child Development and has been and continues to be created and lovingly implemented by our well-trained and highly experienced teachers. We feel very strongly that the role of the co-oping parent in the classroom fosters and embodies this research as well; the parents learn from the teachers about how children grow and develop and gain tools for extending this growth at home. The parents are able to give input to the teachers and provide expertise and insight into their cultures and the community.

The teachers at ACPS go to great lengths to get to know our families and the backgrounds of the families in order to personalize instruction and capitalize on what unique skills each family may have to offer. We feel that this is the ideal arrangement for the children as they move through the varying stages of development and for their families as they support them through these stages. This cooperative arrangement also provides the optimum environment for the children as they learn to separate from their parents and begin to learn to trust others.

While each teacher chooses individual units of study and sets up a specific classroom to meet the needs of the children, we do have developmental goals at each age level that are met in each classroom. As you read over our curriculum of Developmental Goals you will see that from age to age the curriculum builds on itself, allowing for the natural progression of skills at each age and stage. We are focused on providing the best environment for promoting the growth and development of each child in order to be sure that he or she is prepared for Kindergarten after leaving our school. You will find that our curriculum is relevant to the lives of the children, helps them better understand themselves and their lives, is authentic and can be applied to their daily lives.

Annandale Preschool's curriculum is also in alignment with the NAEYC’s guidelines for practice. It is developmentally appropriate, includes a broad range of meaningful content across disciplines, builds on what children already know, it is often integrated across skills and promotes the application of skills.