SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Thoughts on Education
At Chinmaya Blossoms preschool, we follow the principles and practices espoused by great spiritual masters and thinkers.
Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man – Swami Vivekananda.
Children are not vessels to be filled but lamps to be lit – Swami Chinmayananda
Look at life as a whole and live a whole life – Swami Tejomayananda
Daily Schedule
07:30 AM – 09:00 AM Extended care
09:00 AM – 11:30 AM Circle Time & Work Time
10:30 AM – 10:40 AM Snack
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM Play
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM Value Lesson
12:30 PM – 01:00 PM Lunch
01:00 PM – 02:00 PM Nap
02:00 PM – 03:00 PM Work Time, Snack & Dismissal
03:00 PM – 05:30 PM Extended Care
Curriculum
The curriculum plan reflects the philosophy of the program: to meet the needs of the children as a group and the needs of the individual child. The role of the teacher is to facilitate, actively listen to each child, and then guide the learning process.
The teacher evaluates children twice a year on their developmental progress. Teachers consider the five domains of child development: cognitive, social, emotional, creative and physical development for each child’s age.
Circle Time
- Daily Prayers
- Attendance
- Phonetic Analysis
- Group lessons from cultural curriculum
Work Time
- Practical life activities
- Language
- Math
- Cultural Curriculum
- Art
Practical Life
The exercises in the practical life area consist of materials that are familiar to the child and so he is attracted to this area when he first comes into the school. These exercises have objects and materials normally encountered in everyday living experiences such as cleaning, food preparation, pouring, polishing, etc. The exercises of practical life fall into four major categories: care of self, care of the environment, grace & courtesy, and control of movement.
The purpose of the practical life activities is to help the child develop coordination, concentration, a sense of personal independence, and a sense of order. Through the exercises of practical life the child develops the self-confidence, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, and attention essential for the mastery Language and Math.
Language
Language area is where children learn reading through phonics, and writing through working with different activities, which help to develop their fine motor skills. The children are taken through a sequence of fun activities to master phonics.
Mathematics
The Math area focuses on the thorough understanding of quantity and number symbols. The decimal system and the four basic operations (addition, multiplication, subtraction and division) are understood in a concrete manner through use of the math materials.
Culture
The Cultural area has materials that help children become aware of their surroundings as well as appreciate the gift of nature around us through fun activities and hands on materials. Following are the sections in Cultural curriculum.
- History
- Geography
- Biology
- Zoology
Outdoor Learning Environment
Our natural outdoor learning environment stimulates the social-emotional, language, physical and cognitive domains in the child’s interaction with nature. Curriculum is extended in the areas of literacy, science, music and movement.
Sixty percent of social interactions happen outdoors compared to indoor learning environments. It is
through social interactions that children learn how to problem solve, negotiate and communicate. Fostering these skills in early childhood helps to build the foundation for future successful “relationships” in a child’s life.
Nature-based outdoor spaces provide a perfect setting for meeting each child’s unique sensory needs. While one child may choose to quietly observe a ladybug crawling on a leaf, another child may exuberantly fill and dump pails full of sand. A wide variety of natural materials provide ways for each child to feel comfortable and successful.