Academics

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Academics

Observation & Assessment

In order to correctly evaluate a child’s development and create goals for all of our enrolled children, we start curriculum planning by observing and assessing the children’s development, interests and preferences. Having the information gained from observation and assessment, our teachers plan curriculum and activities based on the needs of the group.
What is unique about our program, and your enrollment here at Little Tot’s is that we do not just plan developmental activities for preschool and prekindergarten-aged children. For example, through our daily observations and bi-yearly assessments, we are able to quickly identify and target areas of developmental delay in children from as early as the age of 2 months. If we recognize a developmental delay, we plan activities for that particular child or group of children and focus our attention on improving that skill prior to our next screening. We conference with each family as to the outcomes of our evaluations to not only keep families informed but to develop a partnership of teaching between the child’s family and we teachers here at Little Tot’s.
With many years of experience in this field and my education to guide our team, we are also able to use information gleaned from these observations to plan activities for each child enrolled including babies and toddlers!
In addition to developmental assessments, we administer academic assessments, with our preschool and prekindergarten-aged children. Many of these assessments take place during their play activities so that they are not even aware they are being assessed. Our children benefit significantly from the time we spend because we are directly relating instruction and our curriculum planning to what we know about the children enrolled. For instance, we may plan activities based on encouraging the development of fine motor skills if we notice that our toddlers are having difficulty holding a fork or spoon, or plan activities about community helpers if the preschool children are actively role-playing the parts of nurses or policemen. As part of our curriculum development, we choose activities from all major academic subjects such as Science, Math, Language, Music, Social Studies and Art.
The most wonderful aspect of the close personal home setting is the knowledge that we gain from the years of daily interaction with each individual child. I can proudly say that we truly know these children and delight daily in each child’s growth and new understanding of the world around them.

Education

Observation & Assessment

No two students have exactly the same skills or learning style. That’s why we create an individual learning plan for every child. Our plan will combine observation and assessment with direct instruction, small-group work, and one-on-one tutoring in the way that best works for your child.

Here at Little Tot’s, we assign learning and educational goals to the curriculum that we present to the children. We believe in student-centered learning and tailor the curriculum to meet the needs of all children enrolled. According to the Chippewa Valley Schools Kindergarten Report Card there are many important skills needed to be developed by the end of the Kindergarten year, including social development and work habits, reading and literature, writing, science, social studies, and math. Our school looks to accomplish many of the Kindergarten goals with our students prior to their introduction to elementary school. We feel that giving children a head start in academic knowledge will allow the child more time to get used to their new setting without the worry of falling behind. Here at Little Tot’s, we have such a small number of students that we can easily individualize instruction. In addition, our family like relationships developed with the children make for a relaxed learning environment where the children easily acquire knowledge.
Children learn most through interaction with adults and peers. Adult models greatly influence behavior and by the examples set, provoke similar responses from children. Role modeling positive prosocial behavior is by far the most effective way for children to learn how to interact with others. It is necessary for teachers to give a lot of individualized attention while facilitating and supporting the child’s interest. There is a constant atmosphere of compassion and interaction. I believe this is a key factor in determining a quality early childhood program.
Our learning experiences are taught in a connected manner that facilitates the child’s interest in the subject. Each unit is explored in several subject areas, Language & Literacy, Math, Social Studies, Science, Art and Music. Information is presented in a fun way that is relevant to the child’s life and encourages participation. Using the Multiple Intelligences approach to teaching, information is presented in a variety of ways so that children have many opportunities to learn the topic of interest. All lessons are created here at Little Tot’s, we do not purchase a packaged curriculum due to the limits that they place on learning opportunities, though we do borrow components of a multitude of curricular models including High Scope, Creative Curriculum (Teaching Strategies Gold Objectives), Reggio and Thematic Units.
Clearly one of the sad circumstances of too much academic instruction in the early years is the proliferation of children that start school lacking in social-emotional skills. One thing Little Tot’s staff is greatly aware of is the need for positive social interactions and the development of positive peer relationships. Here at Little Tot’s the children’s peers are more like family than they are friends, they grow up together, play side by side for their first five years and form bonds with all us. I have spoken with several kindergarten teachers that have explained that above anything else they wish that their students had developed the ability to relate with others and exhibit self-regulatory skills such as speaking confidently, separating from their parents, and controlling their own behaviors. Clearly having academic skills won’t help a child who cannot stop crying, make friends, follow directions, or participate in class activities.
“...Children who have friends, who know how to work cooperatively with others, and who can manage their emotions are happier and more likely to be successful in school and in life than children who do not have these skills. A child’s social experiences during the first five years, at home and in group settings, form the foundation for what we now call emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to understand one’s feelings, control impulses and anger, soothe anxiety, show empathy and interact positively with others and persevere to achieve one’s goals” (Preschool for Parents, Trister-Dodge & Bickart).
Of additional importance is the opportunity to have daily access to green outdoor spaces. “In the past decade, the benefits of connecting to nature have been well documented in numerous scientific research studies and publications, collectively, this body of research shows that children’s social, psychological, academic and physical health is positively impacted when they have daily contact with nature” (The Natural Learning Initiative, North Carolina State University). A child's ability to connect and engage with others is of extreme importance in the early years. Because greenspaces are therapeutic and restorative, they decrease stress and increase feelings of positive well-being (e.g. Gesler, Therapeutic Landscapes, 1992). This positive affect carries indoors and is directly correlated with a child's ability to attend and engage throughout the rest of the day as well. Even more recent research has shown that direct exposure to greenspaces closes the gap between children with Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder (ADHD) and children without ADHD (Taylor & Kuo, Children with Attention Deficits Concentrate Better After Walk in the Park, 2008).
Here at Little Tot’s Early Childhood Care & Education, a rich learning environment is gently partnered with academic instruction to provide the most favorable learning opportunities for young children.

Quality Care

A Classroom for Mixed Ages...

One 'hidden' benefit of education and care at Little Tot’s is the mixing of age groups.

When young children are cared for in the same environment as children who are older, they aspire to reach the developmental milestones of their friends. The skills they strive to learn to be more like the older children range from walking to feeding themselves, being able to build a tall tower to potty training.

Preschoolers and school-aged children benefit from the relationships formed with younger children in a variety of ways. They learn valuable life lessons of compassion, turn-taking, empathy, and self-regulation. When they compare themselves to the younger children, they then understand that they are not their parent’s babies, but capable young people able to make their own decisions. Older children then begin to see themselves as very competent; they want to be thought of as ‘big kids’ they want to please and to be helpful. These moral skills are essential for proper development, and sadly do not happen in most childcare arrangements.
At Little Tot’s all children, regardless of age are cared for in the same environment from infancy to school age. Nearly every family who enrolls here at Little Tot’s stays from the date of enrollment until their child starts Kindergarten, so friendships between children are nurtured and stable for the entire length of their time in our care. Of course, my children and I will always be a part of Little Tot’s (try to tell my 11 year old that there is something wrong with having ‘preschool’ friends). And, thankfully, the average length of employment for my staff is over 10 years!

“Our field of early care and education is just beginning to understand the family model of child care and its emphasis on close, caring relationships. In too many centers the business and elementary-school models still dominate, with their focus on hierarchy, productivity, efficiency, and inclination to define people by their “jobs’ rather than by how they relate to others. In the business model, the director’s job is to make sure the center meets licensing regulations and is fully enrolled. She supervises staff and puts out each day’s inevitable fires. Teachers receive direction from the director and are expected to follow regulations, attend training, and perform duties assigned to them in the classroom. Parents are the consumers; their role is to pay for services provided. Children and their needs take a back seat to financial and staffing considerations. Relationships are secondary, cordial but formal. This model may be good for business, but it is inappropriate for raising young children. Research and experience show that if we want young children to thrive, they must be in places were the adults care about them and about one another.”

“High-quality family child care can teach us a great deal about care that is relationship-based. In family childcare homes, relationships tend to resemble those in an extended family. Parent-caregiver connections are broad and enduring. The children in care generally get to know the provider’s own children, her husband and other family members.”
Baker, A. & Manfredi/Petitt, L. (2004). Relationships, the Heart of Quality Care. United States: National Association for the Education of Young Children

The sense of safety and stability is consistent at Little Tot’s. Because we provide care for and educate children of all ages, children never have to experience the loss of their caregivers, environment or surroundings. They maintain the same friends and caregivers from infancy to preschool.

Relationships

A Classroom for Mixed Ages...

In their book titled Relationships, the Heart of Quality Care, authors Baker and Manfredi-Petitt advocate the wonderful virtues of family childcare. The book is published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the world's largest organization working on behalf of young children with nearly 100,000 members, a national network of over 300 local, state, and regional Affiliates, and a growing global alliance of like-minded organizations. Within the pages of the book, you learn how imperative it is that childcare centers adapt the family model of care, to put relationships first, business second.

“In family child care, no other adult stands between caregiver and parent; the provider is owner, director, and teacher. Families and providers sustain their relationships as long as the child is in care, and often beyond. Children who come to a family childcare provider as babies often remain in care until they begin kindergarten, and any return to the caregiver’s home before and after school and over school breaks. When a baby brother or sister is born, that child often follows the older one’s footsteps into the provider’s home. The parent-caregiver-child relationship can continue for a decade or more, depending on circumstances. Friendships develop; some last a lifetime.”

“To safely relax, an infant literally needs to feel at home. What does this mean? In the words of a hypothetical baby: This is my place. I know these people. They know me and they like me; despite my crying and diarrhea and difficulty going to sleep. I can count on them to take care of me, to respond to me. I can be ME here with all my quirks and still be accepted. I will be safe here. What makes a feeling of home is that sense of familiarity, acceptance, and safety.”(Caring Spaces, Learning Places, Greenman).

“There is a growing body of research on children’s attachments and relationships with child care providers. Recent studies show that child care does not weaken the bonds between parent and child; moreover, secure attachments to consistent child care providers-especially when providers are well trained and care for a small number of children- have been associated with better cognitive and social development, greater language proficiency and fewer behavior problems.” (The Florida Child Care Quality Improvement Study, Howes & Galinsky as cited in Rethinking the Brain by Rima Shore).

“Children learn in the context of important relationships. The best way to help very young children grow into curious, confident, able learners is to give them warm, consistent care so that they can form secure attachments to those who care for them”Rethinking the Brain Rima Shore

Stability

A Classroom for Mixed Ages...

Stability

IN THE FIELD OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, IT IS WELL UNDERSTOOD THAT CARE AND EDUCATION ARE INTERTWINED AND THAT QUALITY CARE IS EDUCATION.

WE BELIEVE:

Personal interaction is by far the most important aspect to take into consideration when choosing a childcare environment.

“It is the everyday relationship between the teacher-caregiver and the child –the greeting in the morning, the comments made when the child has drawn a picture, the affection and respect demonstrated – that is the single most important determinant of quality” (The Preschool Years, Galinsky & David).

It is the teacher’s role in an early childhood setting to create a comfortable learning environment where each child is valued as an individual.

Family childcare and education is the absolute best option available for working families.

In the importance of family and preserving the family structure. For families enrolled here at Little Tot’s, family unity is respected. Older siblings learn right alongside their little brothers and sisters all day long. Children eat, play, and sleep close to their siblings. On several occasions throughout the years, we have had siblings, as well as cousins, neighbors and close friends all, enrolled at the same time. We have been fortunate enough to watch unrelated children raised together since birth form loving friendships that have lasted long after their time at Little Tot’s is through. We liken this experience to the ‘olden’ days when extended families spent countless hours together, and children played side by side. Many years ago, the family structure was solid, and extended families were just as common within the household as immediate family. It is our hope that by promoting strong bonds between siblings and families that we can help influence a change in the present way of caregiving.

One very important thing families should consider when looking into care for their child, is trying to find a stable nurturing caregiver that will suit their childcare needs until their child starts elementary school. A child’s sense of comfort provides him or her the optimal opportunity for learning. Recent brain research has shown that children who receive erratic care have higher levels of cortisol (stress hormone) in their blood system. The presence of elevated levels of cortisol inhibits cognitive (thinking) abilities, and therefore drastically affects learning abilities (Building Children’s Brains, Lessen-Firestone Ph. D.). What this means in laymen’s terms is that when children are under stress, their brains do not function normally. For a child moved from place to place, they are so concerned (stressed) about the new environment, children and caregivers, that they lose any opportunity for learning that is provided to them.

Stable nurturing care is a quality that is constant at Little Tot’s. Children are enrolled at birth and have the same caregivers for their entire time enrolled. Our teachers are sincerely blessed to be able to form loving relationships with each child. We learn not only about the child’s obvious traits, but we strive to form a personal connection with the child’s family too. Children enrolled here at Little Tot’s are welcomed into Lisa’s home as family would be. With this closeness, we get to know the children so well, that we know what toys and activities they most enjoy, what might cause a temper tantrum, what foods they love the most, what to do or say when they are having a sad day, we honestly know them as if they were our own family.

Play

Children learn best in a play-based environment. We use the High/Scope model to set up both our indoor and outdoor classrooms as active learning environments. “Active learning is defined as learning in which the child, by acting on objects and interacting with people, ideas, and events, constructs new understanding. No one else can have experiences for the child or construct knowledge for the child. Children must do this for themselves. Active learning involves; direct action on objects, reflection on actions, intrinsic motivation and invention and problem solving” (Educating Young Children, High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, Hohmann & Weikart).

Play is children’s work. Through play, children learn to socialize with others, to form relationships, develop skills of empathy, cooperation, and self-regulation. Children use play to make sense of their world. During play, children learn the functional use of many different materials, how they work and how to manipulate them. It is during this type of play that a child will work to master a new experience prior to putting it to work in real life. For example:

· learning to zip or button a baby dolls clothing

· learning to pour using rice in the sand and water table

· learning to hold a pencil while coloring

Children also learn mastery through designing play experiences that build upon current knowledge. Many preschool materials are open-ended, meaning there is no right or wrong way to play, examples would be blocks, Lego’s, housekeeping, sand and water play, playdoh etc. Through the manipulation of these items’ children can master new goals without feeling a sense of failure or frustration. Children will continue to pursue their interest in a material over and over again until it is mastered. Some items within a preschool classroom are self-correcting, such as a puzzle, game, scale etc. Through this type of play children’s cognitive (thinking) skills are developed. When play is on their own terms, children play for the fun of it, not recognizing that they are learning, only concerning themselves with the action at hand.

“Contrary to what one might expect, the benefits of rich play experiences during the preschool years are extensive and address academic goals for reading and writing, math, science, social studies, and the arts. Several decades of research show that high-quality preschool programs that aim to strengthen social and emotional skills through play have positive effects on all aspects of children’s development, including cognitive or intellectual development. What’s more, these positive effects are long lasting. Programs that overemphasize academic learning through teacher-directed instruction in preschool may produce short-term results, but they fail in the long run to improve children’s success in school and in life” (Preschool for Parents, Trister-Dodge & Bickart).

Numerous studies done over the past several years have shown that children construct their understanding of the world based on direct manipulation of objects and experiences that are provided to them. At Little Tot’s our methods are to immerse the children in an environment filled with interesting, educational and challenging materials to facilitate the quest for discovery. We then observe and interact with the children encouraging their exploration and curiosity. Through our observations of the children, we learn what things are currently making an impression on them, and we act to implement a theme or lesson surrounding their interests. It is by acting on those interests that we so easily can teach a child important life lessons and skills. When you find that ‘teachable moment’ the door is wide open for learning, and here at Little Tot’s we are ‘opening doors’ everyd