OUR PROGRAM

BUILDING CONNECTIONS, INTERLACING VALUES, RESPECTING INDIVIDUALITY

We view children as “Constructivist Learners” who are competent and capable, full of potential, and invested in their own quest for knowledge. As partners with parents, our Early Childhood Educators provide provocations for sensory rich learning, create classroom environments for inquiry, are professionals knowledgeable in the developmental stages of children, and dedicate themselves to on-going research and training. This is all part of a dynamic continuum of family learning that supports life-long critical thinking skills and serves as the cornerstone for larger social change and personal growth.

OUR VALUES-BASED CURRICULUM

In the ECP, children attain school readiness and academic skills through a play-based, evolving learning environment based on individual interests.

We use positive-guidance and redirection to foster cooperative learning and self-control and facilitation to teach questioning strategies and a thirst for knowledge. Daily, children experience Judaic enrichment, hands-on sensory exploration, open-ended connections with trained educators, project-based learning, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities, music, literature, and a focus on the process of art, because we view each child as an individual. Educators document these learning experiences for parents on bulletin boards, during parent/educator conferences, and through annual portfolios. The ECP continuously promotes excellence by including parents and extended families in inter-departmental Jewish events and celebrations and by ensuring children gain:

self-confidence and a positive self-image;
enthusiasm for the learning process;
effective problem-solving strategies;
complex skills in the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical areas of development;
a general respect for others and our own bodies;
a feeling of group belonging and community connectedness both locally and globally;
and values to use for self-guided direction.

Jewish Values

The ECP teaches Jewish values through modeling, the use of books, discussions, and class projects appropriately focused at each age group. The whole school focuses on tzedekah (charity and giving to those in need) and tikkum olam (caring for the world and our environment both locally and globally). From year to year, your child will build upon their prior knowledge with a focus on the following:

Infants

Mishpacha (love of family)
Shalom (feeling peace)

Toddlers

Shalom Bayit (peace in the home and classroom)
Bal Tashchit (do not destroy needlessly)

Twos

Hachnasat Orchim (welcoming guests)
Saver Panim Yafot (cheerfulness)

Threes

Kibbud Horim u Morim (honor parents and teachers)
Derech Eretz (common courtesy and respect)

Pre-K

Hiddur P’nay Zakken (honoring the elderly)
K’vod Ha’anee (respecting the poor)

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATIONS

We believe that children flourish in a stimulating environment and have a multitude of leaning “languages” – clay, dancing, inventing, singing, dramatic play, painting, drawing, reading, to just name a few. As such, we provide them with a host of provocations, opportunities, and “loose parts” to foster their interests and discoveries.

The following are some of the subject areas that we incorporate into our weekly lesson plans and classroom environments for the children.

Judaic Enrichment

PJ Library: Judaic & Literacy Support

Science and Nature

Technology and Engineering

Art

Math

Music

INFANTS

Six weeks to 12 Months

Core Day: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Early Care: 7:30 – 8:00 AM

ECP_Infant_Hanukkah_Floor_Smile_Baby_PHOTO_1

The ECP infant program provides a warm, nurturing atmosphere in which educators engage and talk with children as they care for their needs and teach through play. They are cared for in a manner that assists them in developing trust in their surroundings and their educators. Infants have stable, consistent routines that are based on their own schedules for eating, resting, and playing. Educators foster language development through stories, songs, verbal interactions, as well as beginning baby sign language. Music, outside time, buggy trips, sensory play, and art discovery activities occur daily and are documented both inside and outside of the classroom through daily reports, bulletin boards, weekly lesson plans, semester assessments, and annual portfolios.

Developmental Goals

Develops attachment to educators, is anxious with strangers, self-soothes, seeks attention with noise or gestures
Gains sense of self (i.e. responds to own name), reacts to mirrored images, enjoys social play
Acquires language by responding to sounds and some words (i.e. no), babbles with inflection, uses exclamations (i.e. oh-oh, bye-bye), says “dada” and “mama” for specific person
Uses hand signs for some objects
Increases large motor skills including rolling over, crawling, standing, walking, and raising hands over head
Develops fine motor skills including grasping, scribbling, banging, finger feeding, and drinking from a sippy cup
Understands cause/effect and object permanence
Sits at a table

TODDLERS

12-24 MONTHS

Core Day: 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Extended Care ends at 5:30 PM
Early Care: 7:30 – 8:00 AM

ECP toddlers are encouraged to develop independence while maintaining a personal and community sense of security. Planning for this age group includes many sensory, language development, social, fine and gross motor skill activities. Educators expand upon each child’s knowledge base and help them to internalize the skills of observing, gathering information, inquiring, and improving communication. Connections to art, music, movement, and nature are built during this process, as well as a beginning sense of helping others.

Developmental Goals

Self-help skills including seating self in chair, trying to open lunch box/items, using a spoon, removing/putting on some items of clothing (i.e. shoes, socks, hats)
Makes independent choices regarding play, engages in parallel play, and begins to enjoy peer play
Develops a sense of confidence and self-worth
Awareness of others and their feelings
Expresses emotions appropriately, awareness and beginning control of aggression
Names familiar objects, expresses physical needs (i.e. thirsty, hungry), uses 2-3-word sentences, sings songs
Fine motor skills including clapping, stacking, raising lids, stringing, completing 2-3-piece puzzles
Throws and kicks a ball, runs, rides small riding toys, pulls and pushes toys
Curious about surrounding world and uses imagination in play
Imitates behavior of others, especially adults and older children

TWOS AND THREES

Core Day: 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Extended Care ends at 5:30 PM
Early Care: 7:30 – 8:00 AM

A man with a yellow hat reads a book to a group of preschool kids.

Daily activities for children who are in the two- and three-year old programs are based upon projects and units of study that are interesting and meaningful to those children. A balanced schedule provides experiences in group and individual settings and includes stories, music, language experiences, natural discovery, and inquisitive discussions that include research. Individually, children choose learning center activities in which they can work and play alone, in pairs, or in small groups.

Classrooms are arranged into centers that include educational toys, materials, and games based upon age appropriateness and the interests of the children. These include centers for books, blocks, sensory materials, art, puzzles and manipulatives, math, science, and dramatic play. Children have the opportunity to work and play in these centers individually, with a friend, or in small groups. Choosing centers provides practice in making decisions, following directions, working independently, and learning about the care and use of materials.

Outside time offers opportunities for gross motor development (climbing, running, jumping, pedaling, and building, for example), social interactions, as well as a chance to experience weather and seasons. Children can also experiment with sand and water during these outside periods.

Daily group times provide opportunities for your child to learn in a large group setting. Group lessons include stories, music, gross motor activities, language experiences, and discussions including questioning and research. Additional activities include cooking, growing plants, nature interactions, and having visitors share information about the unit studies. Children will also have opportunities for music, creative movement, tumbling, and other large motor activities. Children learn language, science, and math skills through experiential and integrated play and projects.

ECP Teacher and Girl with Masks doing Puzzle

Developmental Goals for 2-Year-Olds

Self-help skills including manipulation of clothes for toilet and developing toileting skills when ready
Asks and answers questions
Makes independent choices regarding play 10
Enjoys peer play, begins to share/cooperate
Beginning to use words instead of physical aggression when upset
Names familiar objects and expresses ideas, expresses physical needs (thirsty, hungry, etc.), uses 4-5-word sentences, repeats songs, rhymes, finger plays
Enjoys books, can turn single pages independently, and is attentive when stories are read
Large motor skills including climbing, running, jumping, rolling and catching a ball, pedaling a tricycle
Fine motor skills including grasping with fingers, completing 3-5-piece puzzles, stirring with a spoon, painting with brushes
Curious about surrounding world
Uses imagination in pretend play
Developing ability to solve problems independently

Developmental Goals for 3-Year-Olds

Begins to care for personal needs (bathroom skills, dressing self, independently washing hands)
Shows pride in accomplishments and follows established classroom rules and routines
Demonstrates appropriate self-control, understands personal space boundaries, and transitions with ease between activities
Draws a person with 2-4 body parts, draws circles and squares, uses scissors
Cooperates with others during play
Begins to offer and accept affection and empathy
Uses language to express emotion including anger, frustration, and sadness
Recognizes and can repeat sound patterns, uses language to recall a sequence of events, speaks clearly enough for others to understand
Begins to understand time-related vocabulary and makes size comparisons between objects using language
Enjoys books, listens to two stories consecutively
Climbing, running with coordinated movement, walking backwards, throwing a ball overhand, catching a bounced ball, beginning hopping and standing on one foot
Fine motor skills including drawing, cutting, 5-20-piece puzzles

PRE-K

Core Day: 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Extended Care ends at 5:30 PM
Early Care: 7:30 – 8:00 AM

Educators provide a rich learning environment for the children in the Pre-K program including many sensory experiences, hands-on activities, language immersion opportunities, and Kindergarten readiness integration. Children construct their own learning and knowledge from the endless opportunities and the guidance provided by the educators. This special learning environment is a product of our philosophy of the image of each child as competent, capable, and curious.

Educators also provide children with integrated opportunities to practice learned Jewish ethics and values each day through lessons on the Jewish holidays, books, games, rituals, and customs. Pre-K educators also meet each year with Austin Independent School District (AISD) Kindergarten educators and Austin Jewish Academy (AJA) Kindergarten educators to discuss student expectations and recent educational developments.

Schedules for each Pre-K class include both large and small group times as well as times for individual choice in centers and on the playground. Children learn to follow directions and transition between activities. These transition times are turned into learning opportunities when educators count in English and other languages, teach about opposites, colors, self-awareness, and much more.

Children in the Pre-K program also frequently participate in activities through the Austin Jewish Academy. They regularly visit the AJA library for a story-time, have older “buddy” relationships with children in grades K-5, and have a relationship with AJA educators through the annual AJA Science Fair. Some years, the AJA provides space for Pre-K classes to create and exhibit a class project, and all years, Pre-K children are invited to the actual AJA Science Fair. Educators work with the children to develop and create a class science experiment and presentation using the Scientific Method throughout the year – whether or not they are presenting in the AJA Science Fair.

In support of this program, our educators provide the following for the children:

A print-rich environment to promote both reading and writing;
Writing tools, paper of all types, and places and opportunities to create and write. Examples include but are not limited to journals, cards, name tags, documentation of children’s thoughts, letter of the week bags, “what if…” prompts, and self-developed stories;
A variety of stories and texts and associated meaningful discussions;
Phonological awareness by singing songs, reciting chants, making up rhymes, and learning finger plays;
Advancement in both small and large motor skills by involving children in the creation of routines, activities, and experiences that build hand-eye coordination, visual perception, auditory perception, and auditory discrimination; and
Science experiments and discovery using the Scientific Method, as well as cooking projects, and exploration of nature;
Math experiences and discovery including counting, geometry, grids and coordinates, patterns, and sequencing.

ECP-Children-Doing-Puzzle-in-Classroom-2

Developmental Goals

Knows and verbalizes personal information (first name, last name, parent’s first and last names, address, and phone number)
Associates use with common objects (money, food, appliances), groups items by a particular characteristic
Recognizes letters and their corresponding sounds and recognizes, spells, and writes full name
Speaks in grammatically correct sentences most of the time and uses complex sentences to express thoughts, feelings, and to answer questions
Understands past, present, and future
Asks for help when needed, negotiates solutions verbally to resolve conflicts, enjoys engaging with other children, and is able to both lead and follow the group
Expresses needs and preferences clearly and appropriately, shows interest in and actively participates in various classroom activities (independently and in groups)
Demonstrates opposites and their meanings, recites parts of songs, rhymes, stories, and finger play games
Enjoys books and is also able to retell familiar stories
Recognizes and selects healthy foods
Becomes aware of investigative processes using scientific methods
Sorts and compares objects by size, length, weight, area, and temperature and begins to identify the position of objects in a series
Kindergarten readiness skills

FAMILY INVOLVEMENT

Welcome to the J!

We’re excited to welcome you to our Early Childhood Program. As a member of the Jewish Community Center, you’ll also have access to our fitness center, gymnasium, heated pool, hiking/jogging trails, sports fields, picnic areas, community garden, and arts and culture events. Plus, you’ll enjoy member discounts on all of our after-school classes, programs, and events. When you join, you’ll receive parking permits for quick and easy access to the Dell Jewish Community Campus through our 24-hour security as well as a keycard to access the Sports & Fitness complex. Can’t wait to see you at the J!

Join the J

A young man and woman smile with a preschool age boy riding a pony

Parent Involvement

Parent involvement is crucial to the success of our program and solidifies open communication with staff and Administration. This foundationally enhances a positive school experience for your children. Parents receive consistent daily communication from classroom educators including a daily picture, moods and observations, and an individualized comment about each child. We also encourage parent involvement in a variety of ways including:

The ECP Parent Committee (PC) which provides parental viewpoints and feedback to Administration on strategic planning and school-wide policies and decisions;
Volunteering in your child’s classroom;
Going on class field trips;
Attending parent activities and ECP/Shalom Austin-sponsored workshops;
Participating in parent/educator conferences;
Attending weekly and special Tot Shabbat programs on Fridays;
Donating reusable materials (e.g. material scraps, toilet paper roll tubes, yarn) for art projects or gently used toys and books that your child may have outgrown;
Providing feedback to help make the ECP the best environment for you and your child!

Grandparents Club

The ECP has an active Grandparent/Grandfriend Club that provides diverse opportunities to participate with their grandchildren and amongst themselves as well as share their unique talents and gifts with the school. The highlighted event is the annual Grandparents’ Day Breakfast which boasts participation from Bubbies and Zaydees, aunts and uncles, and neighborhood “pseudo” grandparents from near and far.