GUIDELINES
The preschool faculty uses the current state guidelines to plan curriculum.
Massachusetts Preschool Guidelines
There has been a great deal of attention in recent years on the importance of the early years in a child’s development. By emphasizing the rich experiences, which children garner through play, they are able to develop socially, emotionally, physically and cognitively. The activities children engage in during time spent in a preschool program should lay the foundation for their future work in reading, math, science, social interaction, music and more.
What are the Guidelines?
The guidelines for Preschool learning experiences are aligned with the most recent revisions of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. They are designed to ensure that young children have opportunities to participate in a multitude of experiences that provide foundations for learning. The guidelines are “system-based”, meaning that they focus on what programs and the staff need to provide to help young children develop the skills and knowledge they will need, rather than being performance-based.
Guideline Principles
The critical ideas/concepts in understanding and implementing the Guidelines for preschool learning experiences are:
1. All children are capable of learning.
2. There are individual differences in rates of development among children.
3. Knowledge of child growth and development is essential to maximize educational experiences for children and for program development and implementation.
4. Early learning and development are multidimensional; development
domains are highly interrelated.
5. Young children learn by doing, and need to be provided with and varied opportunities to explore and experiment with concepts through play and hands-on activities in their natural environment.
6. Families are the primary caregivers and educators for their young children.
