New preschool curriculum offered at Sharon Day Care

SHARON — While the name day care imparts a custodial mission, Sharon Day Care (SDC) also prides itself on being a very active learning center for its students. It’s a place where the children’s curriculum is just as vital as it is in elementary or high schools. And a new one has just been put in place.Roz Goldfarb, executive director of the day care, said, “One of the benefits of the new curriculum is it offers a great assessment program, which is critical in early childhood development.”It is open ended and designed to help students think and to learn more. The program was launched at the end of August, as part of an evaluation pilot study. The child care center in North Canaan is also trying out the system.In addition to Goldfarb, Head Teacher Margaret Bardot and two assistant teachers have been trained in the new program.“So far it’s been exciting, with new materials, books and activities,” Bardot said.The program provides educators with new and interesting ways to interact with students, to help them learn more. “Everything is tied into objectives,” Bardot said.There are 37 of them, including learning new social and emotional experiences; play experiences to develop large and small motor skills; taking care of oneself; mathematics; language skills; literature; social studies; and art, both two- and three-dimensional.It also provides opportunities for teachers to share their own ideas as a supplement to the curriculum guidelines. “While the new curriculum is based on specific modules, it also provides teachers plenty of latitude for moving things around,” Bardot said.Various elements can easily be switched around to meet varying objectives not only of the program but of day-to-day school needs.From a staff perspective one of the biggest advantages the new curriculum offers is student assessment. Bardot said there is more depth to the assessment, compared to the program the center had used previously.For more information on Sharon Day Care, call 860-364-5182.

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