At Pumpkin Patch Childcare & Learning Center, we believe in providing an environment that allows all children to learn as much as they can at their own level and pace. Our curriculum for each classroom is theme based and developed by the Teachers, Assistant Director, and Director based on the children’s interests and the Indicators of Progress set by the State of Minnesota for Early Childhood Education.
Developing a love of learning is essential to a child’s success so we make sure to provide fun and engaging activities designed to promote whole child growth and development – cognitively, physically, socially, and emotially. Each day is carefully scheduled to provide a balance of child initiated and teacher directed learning and play opportunities including: art, math, science, sensory, writing, cooking, language development, literacy, music, fine motor, gross motor, and free play and exploration.
The Goals of our Curriculum
- To develop the whole child – physically, emotially, socially, and cognitively
- To prepare each child for Kindergarten and a lifetime of learning
- To instill a love of learning and exploring
- To develop caring. compassionate, and respectful people
- To help children develop a sense of pride in who they are
Special and Individual Needs
We know and understand that each child and family is unique with unique backgrounds, experiences, interests, characteristics, and abilities. Because of this, our program is designed to meet these individual needs through our curriculum, environment, individual attention, and the personal relationships we develop with you and your children. If at any time you should need information, resources, referrals, or assistance regarding your child’s development or needs, we are here to help.
Behavior
We believe that the ultimate goal of a behavior guidance program should be to TEACH children and help them grow. With that founding principle in mind, we have developed a behavior guidance program that focuses on setting children up for success. We have based our program on Howard Glasser’s book, Transforming the Difficult Child: The Nurtured Heart Approach. We also realize that in order for children to better manage their behavior, they need to learn how to resolve conflicts with their peers. We have developed a problem solving skills program that teaches children to recognize and express their feelings appropriately and to recognize and understand what others are feeling.
The Goals of Our Behavior Guidance Program:
- To Foster a Strong Self-Esteem in Children
- To Proactively Manage Behavior Problems
- To Provide a Calm and Nurturing Environment
- To Teach Children Self-Control
We Accomplish These Goals By:
- Providing an Environment Where Failure is not Fatal
- Energizing and Recognizing Each Child’s Successes
- Not Giving Energy to Negative Behavior
- Setting and Enforcing Rules and Consequences
- Using redirection and giving children a quiet space where they can “take a break/read a book” until they are ready to rejoin their group/class
