PROGRAMS

THE CHILDREN'S GARDENS PROGRAM INFORMATION

Kid Painting — Child Daycare in Las Cruces, NM

Our program/curriculum is child centered and based on the philosophy that play is the best way for children to learn. Our approach is individualized to meet each child's needs and comes from the content that children are learning, the process in which children will achieve the identified goals, what role the teacher plays in assisting the child to achieve the goals and the context in which the learning will occur.

The Children’s Garden is a play-based child development center that focuses on the child, as a whole, and their family. Our program and corresponding curriculum is child centered and based on the philosophy that play is the best way for children to learn. Our approach is individualized to meet each child’s needs and comes from the content that children are learning, the process in which children will achieve the identified goals, what role the teacher plays in assisting the child to achieve the goals and the context in which the learning will occur. Our kind, friendly, and professional teaching staff understands that children learn best through hands on meaningful experiences that allow the children to explore, create and manipulate the world around them. Our classrooms are structured to encourage learning through group play, solitary play (individual exploration), use of stimulating age appropriate toys and hands on manipulation of materials. Teaching strategies are based on the knowledge of how young children learn and take into consideration a “whole child” approach which understands each child’s differences while promoting natural curiosity and a foundation of love of learning.

The Children’s Garden’s philosophy believes in respecting each child as a unique and worthy individual. By respecting each child as a unique and worthy individual, we help the child feel he/she belongs. We do this by building feelings of love and acceptance by:

Providing high levels of support and nurturance at all times.
Providing appropriate and consistent limits.
Individualizing each child's curriculum to meet his/her strengths and needs.

We provide every child with the opportunity to have fun in exploring, discovering, creating, making choices and decisions on his/her own. These learning opportunities respect each child's right to make choices and decisions. We help children feel competent and self-assured by:

Providing many opportunities for children to explore, investigate, discover solutions, create and manipulate objects.
Helping children develop their ability to make choices and decisions.
Providing opportunities for children to be persistent and expend efforts in activities that are meaningful and rewarding to them (i.e. growing a garden, completing a painting or mural, or doing a cooking project).

We also believe in fostering an excitement about learning through a natural, responsive, and supportive environment.

We foster an excitement about learning by:

Providing environments where children can experience nature; what things are like and how they grow.
Supporting children's creativity through environments that provide different art activities; musical sounds, rhythms and movements; science experiments with liquids, ice, dry ingredients and colors; language activities exploring words, sounds and rhymes, dramatic play, tapping into children's rich imagination; and cooking experiences, offering opportunities for exploring color, texture, taste and smell.
Providing many opportunities for children to work together cooperatively and in groups.
Providing appropriate activities in all areas to support children's physical, mental and social development.

The Children’s Garden Considers parents as equal partners in educating their child.

We consider parents to be equal partners in educating their child. Because parents are their child's first and most important teacher, we believe their involvement in planning for their child is essential to his/her success. Each child will have a portfolio assessment which includes a

Developmental Milestone Checklist, written Individual Goals, Objectives and Outcomes, as well as Samples of Works in Progress.

We believe open communication between parents and teachers is the key to a successful family/school partnership.

Our professional teaching staff understands that children learn best through hands on meaningful experiences that allow the children to explore, create and manipulate the world around them. Our classrooms are structured to encourage learning through group play, solitary play (individual exploration), use of stimulating age appropriate toys and hands on manipulation of materials. Teaching strategies are based on the knowledge of how young children learn and take into consideration a “whole child” approach which understands each child's differences while promoting natural curiosity and a foundation of love of learning.

The Children’s Garden Curriculum & Program Description

Our program/curriculum is child centered and based on the philosophy that play is the best way for children to learn. Our approach is individualized to meet each child’s needs and comes from the content that children are learning, the process in which children will achieve the identified goals, what role the teacher plays in assisting the child to achieve the goals and the context in which the learning will occur.

Our professional teaching staff understands that children learn best through hands on meaningful experiences that allow the children to explore, create and manipulate the world around them. Our classrooms are structured to encourage learning through group play, solitary play (individual exploration), use of stimulating age appropriate toys and hands on manipulation of materials. Teaching strategies are based on the knowledge of how young children learn and take into consideration a “whole child” approach which understands each child’s differences while promoting natural curiosity and a foundation of love of learning.

Our attentive staff have all participated in rigorous professional development training, are CPR/First Aid certified, and are either degree seeking in Early Childhood Education, hold their associates or bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, or have taken the required ECED coursework to be in compliance with state requirements.

Program Goals for Infants

6 WEEKS TO 12 MONTHS OF AGE

We have established a safe environment for exploration in which we provide care for infants in a warm, affectionate way that lets each child know that he or she is a special person, including the physical affection and cuddling that is so important at this stage of development. We strive to meet each child’s physical, intellectual and social/emotional needs completely. The Children’s Garden provides opportunities for exploring, learning and social interaction through a variety of daily activities, including those that stimulate the senses by recognizing that infants learn through the use of their eyes, fingers, sense of taste and smell. We believe in caring for children in small groups to prevent over-stimulation and to provide opportunities for one to one interactions between children and staff. Furthermore, we add to a child’s experience by providing the opportunity for children to use their large and small motor skills with both indoor and outdoor activities that implement the use of all 5 senses. In order to promote consistency between Day Care and Home Care, we have established practices that are most beneficial to the infant and will offer the parents an opportunity to influence the kind of care that their child receives. We have an open-door policy that encourages parents and/or legal guardians to step into class and participate in their child’s day to day activities. We believe in being supportive of parents by encouraging involvement and open, honest communication while using tact and discretion. Lastly, we have implemented strict sanitation procedures that aide in ensuring a safe and clean environment that prevents cross contamination and the spread of illness and germs.

TODDLER PROGRAM GOALS

12 MONTHS TO 36 MONTHS OF AGE

The Children’s Garden strives to provide a nurturing, flexible, and calm atmosphere where physical affection is freely given, a child’s self-concept is enhanced, independence is encouraged and expectations are made clear. We believe in providing care in small groups in order to give each child more personal attention, to prevent under and over stimulation, to allow more freedom of choices and to maintain a more relaxed atmosphere. Each child’s physical needs are met while we set the stage for future independence in self-care, such as toilet teaching, putting on coats, putting on shoes, etc. Staff have created a routine that establishes respect for the equipment and materials in the classroom environment and teaches children how to care for personal materials, thus furthering a child’s self-help skills. We also ensure that a good variety and quantity of materials are available on the shelves at all times and that all items are on the child’s level (manipulative, dramatic play, pull toys, puzzles, books….) Lastly, our goals are to provide developmentally appropriate areas of growth that enhance a child’s learning experience.

We provide the following areas:

To promote emotional growth.

a. To build self-confidence and a sense of self-worth by allowing choices within limits and to build on successful experiences.

b. To provide a warm accepting environment for the children to work and play in.

c. To encourage curiosity and sense of wonder with an environment that is designed to limit the use of “no”.

To promote social growth.

a. To promote and instill a sense of caring for, and sensitivity towards others: a foundation for respect is established.

b. Adult modeling acceptable behavior is critical to the toddlers learning cooperative and group play.

To promote intellectual growth.

a. To instill a sense of curiosity.

b. To provide an atmosphere where children discover and explore- to provide experiences with open-ended questions and where process and not product is emphasized.

c. To provide a wide variety of activities within an outline where cooperative play is encouraged. Curriculum areas of art, math, science, cooking, music and movement, large muscle, practical life, dramatic play, language arts and fine motor activities. Through these activities, children are learning to be able to trust their own feelings about what they learn, hear, see and do. They also begin to share these experiences with other.

To promote physical/motor development

a. For children to use their bodies in a variety of active ways by participating in fine and large motor activities both indoors and outdoors.

b. To engage in simple games and songs.

Program Goals for School-Age

AGES 5 TO 12

Our program goals for preschool children begin by building self-confidence and creating a sense of self-worth by allowing children to make choices for themselves, within limits, which help them to build on successful life experiences. We promote and instill a sense of caring for, and sensitivity towards others by providing a nurturing and relaxed environment with caring adults, where self-concepts are enhanced, independence is encouraged, free choice decisions are offered, social skills are acquired, and all children are individually respected. We provide large portions of time in which the child can spend with their friends in a range of different and satisfying activities, which are drawn from the following curriculum areas:

Art
Science
Woodworking
Cooking
Music and movement

Drama
Language arts
Large muscle development
Fine motor development
Math games

Through these activities, children are learning to be able to trust their own feelings about what they learn, hear, see and do and to begin sharing these experiences with others. Educators also provide the children with opportunities to gain competence in a variety of skills and techniques that increases their interest and control over their environment. We believe in helping our children develop an active curiosity about the world in which they live and an enthusiasm for learning which stimulates exploratory behavior and creativity. We assist the child gain self-discipline in an environment where they know the limits and expectations and provide an atmosphere in the classroom which promotes respect for adults, themselves, others and materials.

Transportation for School Age is provided from school to childcare. Contact individual sites for school transportation list.

FOCUS

All locations of The Children’s Garden are active participants in New Mexico’s FOCUS program. FOCUS on Young Children's Learning" is New Mexico's third generation Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System (TQRIS). Developed by the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD), the goal of FOCUS is to foster program leadership, cultivate teacher quality, and support positive outcomes for all children. New Mexico is committed to creating and sustaining an early learning system that focuses on building high-quality, comprehensive, community programs that form a continuum of integrated services. This commitment reflects the goal adopted by the New Mexico Early Learning Advisory Council that, “every child in New Mexico will have an equal opportunity for success in school, based on equitable access to an aligned and high-quality early learning system.

FREE New Mexico Pre-K Programs for children 3 and 4 Year olds

The Children’s Garden offers both the New Mexico Early Pre-K Program (3 year olds) and as well as the standard Pre-K Program (4 Year Olds) at all six locations. Currently, we offer mixed Pre-K Program 3-4 years old at Northrise, Sonoma & Valley locations

The New Mexico Pre-K program is a free voluntary program funded by the state of New Mexico that began in 2005 to ensure that every child in New Mexico has the opportunity to attend a high quality early childhood education program before going to kindergarten. The purpose of the program is to increase access to voluntary high-quality pre-kindergarten programs, provide developmentally appropriate activities for New Mexico children, expand early childhood community capacity, support linguistically and culturally appropriate curriculum, and focus on school readiness skills.

Furthermore, teachers carefully plan indoor and outdoor activities based on what children need to learn in seven areas: