Curriculum
Our curriculum is always a work in progress
- Reflecting the children's gifts and interests
- Mirroring the children's developmental learning tasks
- With special activities incorporating individual developmental goals and expanding on natural inclinations
- With music and dance
- And with animals, birds, and the natural world always involved
The children reveal their work to us when they are drawn to materials and spaces in the environment, and we follow their lead by ensuring that those materials that reflect their interests are available in abundance.
Special activities challenge their strengths and incorporate their learning goals. We've learned that children are lifted, comforted, inspired, and delighted by music. 
They dance, sing, find each other, and make music together. Music is a part of the natural environment at the Children's Project. The cadence and tone of music provides a valuable backdrop for concentrating, the tranquility it offers can soothe busy minds and support self-directed play. The children engage with musical instruments and learn about sound, beat, and movement. It's a wonderful part of our program that provides another chance for children to reveal their gifts and interests.
Children are, by nature, curious and attentive to animals and elements of the natural world - the flowers, the trees, water - at the Children's Project, the environment is rich with opportunities for building knowledge about nature and our relationship to other living creatures. This kind of concentration nurtures development in so many areas, including academic, of course. But also, the behavioral awareness and self-regulating skills that come with understanding our relationship to other living creatures - how we're the same and how we depend on each other - are essential to developing social and emotional competence. And this is always woven into our work and play at the Children's Project.
Just 3 feet outside the window, there are a variety of birds at our feeder throughout the day, but especially in the mornings. We attract many species, especially the blue jays, cardinals, mourning doves, and chick-a-dees. We learn their names and their sounds. Birds and animals are a steady part of our learning experiences at the Children's Project. We have a golden retriever therapy dog, Henry, who is an important part of the group. And we've worked collaboratively with local horse farms to ensure the children have broad experiences with nature.