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UPK Curriculum

learn

 

Children Learn to Play and Play to Learn

Play helps children make discoveries, build knowledge, experiment with literacy and math, and learn to self-regulate and interact with others in socially appropriate ways.

Children learn concepts such as letter and numeral identification, classifying shapes, writing words, learning about sizes, and problem-solving skills. Play teaches children to learn how to make decisions, solve problems, exert self-control, and follow rules.

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Creative Curriculum

The Creative Curriculum for Preschool was chosen for the Universal Pre-Kindergarten program because it is directly aligned with the New York State Early Learning Standards and because it emphasizes developmentally appropriate practices. The Creative Curriculum encourages children to experiment, explore, and pursue their own interests.

The Curriculum

  • Offers children choices
  • Gives children ample opportunities for creative expression
  • Allows children freedom to explore the environment
  • Permits children to get messy during play
  • Encourages children to work independently
  • Values children’s ideas
  • Promotes problem-solving and appropriate risk-taking
 

Academic Readiness

The Brigance Screening

A diagnostic developmental screening will be administered to your child at their UPK site prior to December 1st of the 2022-2023 school year as per Part 117 of the New York State Education Regulations. In New York State, children are required to be screened at the first point of entry into the school district. The diagnostic screening tool used is the Brigance Early Childhood Screen. This nationally standardized tool covers a broad sampling of a child’s skills in key developmental areas such as language, literacy, math, and physical skills. The data from this screening will help the district identify any children who may require additional services or supports, as well as those children who may seem gifted, or advanced.

Ongoing Assessments

Ongoing assessments are also an important ingredient to the UPK program. Assessment helps the teachers to plan their instruction, and monitor the growth and development of your children. The assessments are aligned with the objectives and goals of the curriculum and the NYS standards for pre-kindergarten.

Parental Involvement

The role parents play in their child’s education is very important.  There are many levels of parent involvement, and we encourage you to participate to the extent that your schedule permits.  Here are some ways you can be involved in your child’s UPK experience:

  • Read to your child daily.
  • Implement teacher suggestions to help reinforce learning.
  • Read newsletters and parent bulletins from your child’s school.
  • Attend parent-teacher conferences.
  • Attend special school events.
  • Communicate with your child’s teacher.
  • Keep your child’s teacher informed if there should be events in your child’s life that may impact mood changes or participation in the program