Academics
Preschool
Social and Emotional: To help children develop independence and self-control. To encourage students to learn how to express and manage their feelings.
Cognitive: To provide activities for children to problem-solve and explore areas related to math, literacy, science, technology, social studies and the arts.
Physical: Help children increase their large and small muscle skills and feel confident about what their bodies can do.
Language: To help children learn to express their thoughts about the world they explore. Opportunities for both verbal and written language development occur throughout the day.
Mathematics: Throughout the day, include meaningful discussions and applications to develop the essential mathematical process skills of problem-solving, reasoning, communicating, making connections, and representing.
Literacy: Each day, utilize daily resources focused on language and literacy skill development, and read aloud using our children’s book collection and Digital Children’s Library from a wide range of genres that explore life in other cultures, celebrate diversity, spark curiosity, and inspire children’s imaginations.
Kindergarten
As children start their academic career, the staff at RT Cream work hard to make them feel safe, welcomed, and loved. We understand that part of loving them is providing them with a rigorous curriculum in literacy, math, science, and social studies that will prepare them for a successful and happy school experience for years to come. The majority of our time in kindergarten is spent working on literacy and math skills. Kindergarten scholars explore letters and sounds, which includes learning the sound(s) each letter makes, blending sounds together, and taking sounds apart. They also learn high frequency words that they work on reading automatically (without sounding out). Within the literacy curriculum, you can find social studies and science concepts weaved throughout. The students read rich literature about topics such as being a good friend, what neighborhoods look like, and what all living things need. We also have a dedicated time each day where they can explore concepts of science or social studies through hands-on experiments and activities or role play and storytelling.
In Math, learning about numbers 1-10 are the highest priority. Students explore what these numbers represent and the relationship the numbers have to one another. They explore ideas like how 7 not only represents 7 objects counted by one, but also a group of 5 and 2 more, or 3 less than 10. The instruction is robust and challenging, but also adapted to meet the needs of all learners. Other topics included in the math curriculum are addition and subtraction, measurement, shapes, and sorting. These topics are all explored through problem solving, fluency activities, and hands on activities, and graphic representation. Finally, all students are exposed to and participate in art, music, or physical education activities daily.
First Grade
Our first grade curriculum challenges students to learn more and build on skills introduced in kindergarten; it prepares students for college and career readiness. In math, students will continue to build on the concrete building blocks of math; which include problem-solving, algebraic thinking and number operations, data, measurement, and geometry. By the end of the year students are solving word problems and equations with values up to 40.
Literacy is an exciting year in first grade as children learn how to be a strong reader. In Reader’s and Writer’s workshop, students work with a variety of genres and build understanding of different kinds of texts. They explore persuasive and opinion, poetry, and informational text. Students learn phonics and learn how to put sounds together to independently read. First grade students also have social studies, science and specials that focus on the arts.
Second Grade
Our second grade curriculum is rigorous and challenging. Students are exposed to the same structured day with subjects of ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Specials. They have time in the day for mindfulness, SEL, and recess. ELA is composed of Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop and Fundations- Phonics. In literacy students are also getting specific, individualized instruction to meet the current needs. Math students pick up with place value, and work with finding strategies to solve different kinds of problems. As mathematicians in second grade, they are working with values up to 100, extending the understanding of base ten notions, building fluency with addition and subtraction, using standard units of measurement, and describing and analyzing shapes. Decimals, time, and data are also discussed and explored.
Third Grade
As students continue on to third grade at RT Cream, students are more responsible and have many leadership opportunities to be a part of the school community. We focus on our character education as well as academics in this grade, and it follows the same continuum from second grade. In math, students are exposed to fractions, decimals and the beginning stages of multiplication and division. Students have whole class math experiences as well as individual skills that are practiced in small groups or even one to one with a teacher. For literacy, students are reading more complex texts as well as writing longer sentences and essays. Literacy time is also made up of small group and large group experiences where your child will learn what they need in addition to the grade level content. Students also have social studies and science where they deepen their understanding about stages of matter, types of government, and civic duties.
Art (Special Area)
PreK - 3rd grade students will be inspired by diverse artists, artworks, and art making techniques through the school year. We will learn about lines, colors, shapes, and mixed media art making. Kindergarten - 3rd graders will visit the art room and experience choice based centers in addition to special projects. They will have the opportunity to find their favorite mediums and express themselves creatively!
Music (Special Area)
Music is core to a well rounded education. Exposing students to music early on builds their vocabulary through sounds, memory through patterns and motor skills while exploring their self expression.
This year we will be exploring many facets of music.
- Pre K/Kindergarten will be learning basic skills through music like following directions, playing instruments, singing and dancing.
- First grade will be learning basic rhythm notation through different activities.
- Second grade and third grades will be learning how to read basic music notation through playing instruments.
There will be many hands-on activities and learning centers for all students to explore music learning! The planned lessons will be engaging, fun and exciting. We look forward to educating our children about the importance of music!
Health and Physical Education (Special Area)
Here at R.T. Cream Early Childhood Center we learn how to practice healthy habits that will support the growth and development of our youth. Physical Education class is an opportunity for students to comprehend concepts such as, locomotive movements, manipulative and non manipulative skills,while Health Education gives students an opportunity to learn how practicing healthy habits impacts their physical, social, and cognitive development. From exploring the food groups to being introduced to early sports related concepts, the students get a chance to learn through movement.