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It is the mission of Woods Child Development Center to inspire excellence in learning and creativity, to build character, and to foster respect for others and the world around us by providing an engaging, developmentally appropriate program for children ages 2 to 4 in a nurturing, Christian environment.
CURRICULUM
Woods Child Development Center is proud to introduce our new curriculum, Children Discovering Their World. Children Discovering Their World (CDW) is a series of early childhood curricula developed by the Center for Early Childhood Education and Intervention (CECEI) at the University of Maryland, with funding from the Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Early Childhood. Currently we offer two curricula. Children Explore Their World (CEW) is a curriculum for three-year-olds. Children Study Their World (CSW) is a curriculum for four-year-olds. CDW curricula are based on the principles of project-based inquiry and driven by evidence-based practices that build teacher capacity and support successful implementation. Please visit https://education.umd.edu/cdw for more information. This curriculum also ties to the Early Learning Assessment, which is our new assessment model this year. Our school received grant funding from MSDE to implement this program which includes iPads, manipulatives, books, and games as well as continuing education for teachers in both the curriculum and assessment pieces. We will have a curriculum specialist for 3 years to support and guide us through the process. We will keep our “Woods” identity while maintaining the fidelity of this program. The Two-Year-old programs will be freshening their lesson plan format and continue with the Creative Curriculum, along with the provided assessment. Please visit https://teachingstrategies.com/product/the-creative-curriculum-for-preschool/ for more information.
Exploring our natural environment is also important to your child’s development and Woods CDC offers a playground in a natural setting. Children can climb, dig, ride, and swing. A fully stocked shed allows the teachers to provide outdoor building blocks, trucks, sand toys, balls, and soccer and basketball equipment. We even play in the water and in the snow and have an outdoor art area. Since our school is located on the campus of the Church, children are able to take a safe walk and observe the native plants, walk in the children’s garden, or navigate the labyrinth.
If the weather is inclement, children are able to play in Zimmerman Hall which is a large open space where we do lots of fun movement activities.
Woods Child Development Center
Curriculum Enrichment Philosophy
Faith
Chapel is held October through May for all classes. All programs meet in Room 150 for chapel.
The foundation for young children’s understanding of God and His love begins when they experience love and caring in their daily life. Children eventually understand that unseen persons love and care for them even when they are not near. The introduction of Bible stories and songs further reinforces the understanding that God cares for His people and wants His people to love and care for each other and the world around them. As a staff, we hope that not only do we teach this faith curriculum but that we serve as a role model for the children on a daily basis.
Chapel is led by Scarleth Raulales, one of our full day teachers. Under direction of Ms. Kat Green, the Director of Children's Ministry for Woods Church, Scarleth uses the interactive chapel curriculum
Growing in Grace and Gratitude. This curriculum embraces the children in the grace of God through engagement with the Bible. This children's curriculum explores Bible stories through the lens of grace. Each session contains age-appropriate opportunities for responses of gratitude through calming, celebrating, praying, and offering.
Music
Music is so appealing to young children and is enjoyed by all, regardless of musical ability. Our music curriculum gives students opportunities to listen, sing, play instruments, experience rhythm and creatively express themselves through movement and dance. A wide variety of academic, physical, and social skills can be taught and reinforced through music instruction
Music is taught bi-weekly by Pilar Jones, from September through May. Mrs. Jones uses classical, religious, and preschool music in her lesson planning.
Creative Expression through the Arts
Our art curriculum focuses on use of materials, creativity, and self-expression. Through creative, open-ended exploration of art media, our students use their imagination and are free to establish or re-establish boundaries, create order from chaos, solve problems, make independent decisions, make choices, organize thoughts, and complete an activity all on their own. We believe the process of art is far more important than the end result. We encourage the children to be invested in their creations and to appreciate the effort that others have put into their art. Throughout the year, we post artwork in our hallways and classrooms. In April, we celebrate our students’ creativity at Art Night.
A child’s first attempts at manipulating writing instruments of any kind may be observed near his or her second birthday. These marks, labeled “scribbles” in the educational field, are the building blocks of creative art activities and of written communication as well. The essential activity of scribbling, through various developmental stages, leads to more sophisticated drawing and painting. These marks also lead to the formation of letter-like shapes and from there to writing and reading. Therefore, open-ended art supports literacy and social foundations learning.
