How We Use The Creative Curriculum^® in Our Oak Harbor Classrooms

One of the first questions families ask on a tour is a simple one: what curriculum do you use? At Nurture with Care Kids Academy, the answer is The Creative Curriculum^® by Teaching Strategies. It is the foundation for every classroom at our Midway, Fort Nugent and View Ridge locations in Oak Harbor.

A curriculum name on its own does not tell you much, so here is what it means for your child's day, how our teachers use it, and how you will see your child's progress.

What The Creative Curriculum is

The Creative Curriculum is a research-based early childhood curriculum used by programs across the country. It is built on the idea that young children learn best through hands-on exploration and purposeful play, guided by teachers who know exactly what each activity is for.

It is organized around 38 objectives for development and learning. They cover the areas that matter at this age:

• Social-emotional: managing feelings, making friends, following routines
• Physical: running, balancing, and the small hand muscles used for writing
• Language and literacy: listening, speaking, early reading and writing
• Cognitive and math: problem solving, counting, shapes and patterns
• Science, social studies and the arts: curiosity about the world, people and creative expression

What it looks like in the classroom

Our classrooms are set up as interest areas, each with a purpose: blocks, dramatic play, art, library, discovery, sand and water, music and movement, toys and games, and outdoor play. To a visitor it looks like children playing. To our teachers, every area is a place to practice specific skills.

• A block tower is early math and engineering: counting, comparing heights, balance.
• A pretend grocery store is language, counting and taking turns.
• The water table is early science: what floats, what sinks, and what happens when you pour.
• The art table builds the fine motor control children will need to hold a pencil.

This is the same play-based learning approach we have written about before. The Creative Curriculum gives it structure, so play is never random and nothing important gets missed.

Built around your child

No two children are alike, and the curriculum does not treat them that way. Our teachers observe each child during play and daily routines, note what they can do and what they are ready for next, and plan around it. One child at the art table may be learning to hold a crayon, while the child next to them is starting to write their name.

Teachers also follow children's interests. If a group is fascinated by the rain that Whidbey Island gives us so much of, that can become a week of puddle experiments, weather words and rain songs.

Infants and toddlers too

The Creative Curriculum has versions written for infants, toddlers and twos, not just preschoolers. For our youngest children, daily routines are the learning: diaper changes, meals and naps are times for talking, naming, singing and building trust with a familiar teacher.

How you will see your child's progress

A curriculum only helps if families can see it working. Here is how we keep you connected:

• Every day: photos and updates in the Lillio app, so you know what your child did and learned.
• At parent-teacher conferences: a clear picture of your child's growth using Teaching Strategies GOLD^®, the assessment that goes with The Creative Curriculum. It shows where your child is across each area of development and what comes next. We are starting to share GOLD progress with families at our conferences this fall.
• At home: simple ideas to keep the learning going, matched to what your child is working on.

How it connects to quality and kindergarten

A strong curriculum is one part of what makes a quality program. Our program is rated Early Achievers Level 5, Washington's highest quality rating, and is recognized by NAEYC. Both look closely at how children's learning is planned and supported.

For older preschoolers, the skills built through The Creative Curriculum are the same ones kindergarten teachers look for: following directions, taking turns, early letters and numbers, and the confidence to try. You can read more in our post on preparing your child for kindergarten, or see our preschool program. Our weekend care uses the same curriculum and teachers as our weekday program.

Questions worth asking on any childcare tour

Whether you choose us or another program, these questions will tell you a lot:

• What curriculum do you use, and can you show me what it looks like in this room?
• How do teachers track each child's development?
• How and how often will I hear about my child's day and progress?

We are happy to answer all three in person, at whichever of our three Oak Harbor locations is most convenient for you.