ENGLISH In the Early Childhood Program for three year olds, students listen to a variety of literature, becoming more familiar with the English language. Students parcipate in myriad acvies that include exploring dramac play, large and small group language games, and teacher-directed acvies. Students are read to frequently and are provided with opportunies to engage in group discussions as well as story telling in order to develop their oral language skills. These are also developed through the memorizaon of songs and rhymes. Students are provided opportunies to develop an awareness of the importance of print through the use of journals. Students are introduced to the leers of the alphabet by recognizing their names and then learning the leers in their name. Students also have the opportunity to form leers using a variety of materials. They listen to a variety of stories related to a theme and engage in a small discussion making connecons to their experiences. Students start to repeat common daily phrases and quesons. They acquire new vocabulary through stories, class discussions, and retelling personal experiences. As the year moves along, students engage more and more in dialogue. MATH In order to culvate an in-depth understanding of mathemacs, students focus on developing their process skills through mathemacal pracces. They make sense of problems and persevere in solving them, reason abstractly and quantavely, and construct viable arguments and crique the reasoning of others. Students model with mathemacs and use appropriate tools strategically. They aend to precision, look for and make use of structure and look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. Process skills are the essenal elements for the mastering of math and will be developed through the content shown below. EC3 students are introduced to number recognion, idenfying and quanfying numbers through the use of a variety of concrete material within 5. Students demonstrate an understanding of the relaonship between numbers and quanes to 5 and connect counng to cardinality with a variety of hands-on acvies. EC3 students use numbers (0-5) including wrien numerals to represent quanes and counng objects. Students also demonstrate an understanding of addion and subtracon by using objects and fingers within 5. The EC3 students idenfy, compare, and sort two dimensional shapes and objects, in different sizes, using informal language to describe their similaries, differences, and other aributes (e.g., color, size, and shape). SCIENCE In EC3 we focus on developing the following science and engineering pracces or skills: • Asking quesons and defining problems • Developing and using models • Planning and carrying out invesgaons • Analyzing and interpreng data We develop these skills by studying the following content areas: Physical Science: Moon and Stability: Forces and Interacons; Energy Life Science: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes Earth Science: Earth’s Systems; Earth and Human Acvity Engineering and Technology: Engineering Design SOCIAL STUDIES The EC 3 Social Studies Curriculum allows the students to gain a beer understanding of self-concept and build self-confidence through posive interacons with others. It highlights the importance of understanding their own feelings and the feelings of others. Through themac acvies about community helpers, cultures, and friendship, students develop important social skills. Through acve discussions, learning acvies and role- play, students are given the opportunity to imagine themselves in mulple roles of society and to examine situaons from another individual’s perspecve. Through dramac play, interacve learning acvies and daily rounes, students acquire sharing and cooperave skills, a noon of posive behavior, mutual respect and the importance of rules. PNL In EC3, Portuguese has three main goals: • oral expression, • the development of fine motor skill and • some knowledge of Portuguese culture. This learning takes place through fun acvies – stories, songs, movement and tradional games, and arts and craſts. Portuguese themes are usually related to general classroom themes. Being a bilingual program, themes are developed with the students in both Portuguese and English. Both nave and non-nave Portuguese speakers are included in the same lessons, and through their interacons, children develop both their vocabulary and their ability to construct their spoken Portuguese in more correct and complex sentences. Their introducon to Portuguese culture is approached in the same fun and dynamic way. ART EC3 arsts start to explore four arsc processes: Create, Perform, Respond, and Connect. The art curriculum provides the students the opportunity to experiment with a variety of art materials and techniques. Emphasis is placed upon the child’s physical and mental development and upon the creave process rather than upon the finished product. Students are given the opportunity to create their own art using a wide variety of resources, as well as developing their fine motor skills. Art is included across the curriculum, providing students the opportunity to experiment with art in a variety of curricular areas. Artwork is displayed throughout the year outside the EC3 classroom. MUSIC EC3 musicians start to explore four arsc processes: Create, Perform, Respond, and Connect. They explore these processes through their voices, bodies, and instruments. Free play, creave movement, and games are ulized for students to become more comfortable with their musical environment. There is also a strong emphasis on learning Nursery Rhymes to not only develop musical skills but also to enhance vocabulary and linguisc ability. Themes in music are planned to coincide with units of study in the homeroom class. The students perform mulple mes a year for in-school assemblies and occasional Informances, during which parents are invited to watch and parcipate in a music lesson. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) Students acquire the age-appropriate technology and media skills while making strong connecons, specially linked to Units of Inquiry. Using the bee bot, a programmable toy, students use direconal commands to move the bee bot in a simple path. PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) EC3 Physical Educaon curriculum promotes the first contact with physical acvity. This first approach is done through fun acvies, in a safe and controlled environment. Students are introduced to acvies that will let them apply their locomotors skills, physical capacies, and motor abilies. Class acvies will be mostly space awareness games, ball handling skills, obstacle course or gymnasc skills course. All of these acvies will be performed at an introductory level. In this age group, most of all, we value the child’s comfort and safety in class. EARLY CHILDHOOD THREE YEARS OLD (EC3)