EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

Mission Statement 

The mission of the Saline Area Schools Early Childhood Services Pooh Corner Preschool Program is to provide an engaging learning environment to foster children's imagination, creativity and problem solving skills.

Goals
Our goal is to build a foundation for children to become confident learners who can work cooperatively with others and enjoy learning. To reach this goal, we implemented developmentally appropriate activities and research based Creative curriculum to develop early literacy, math concepts and foster emotional, social competency. 

Educational Theories

• Creative Curriculum – A research based early childhood curriculum focus on active learning, hands-on experiences with people and materials to help children understand the world around them. 
• Project Approach – An in-depth investigation of a topic that is meaningful for the learner.
• Handwriting Without Tears – A comprehensive program that integrates handwriting with activities that children already experience in preschool to help them develop writing skills.
• Zoo Phonics
• Brain Development Researches
• The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning Early Childhood Standards of Quality (Michigan Department Education) 

Educational Objectives 
The curriculum is designed to foster children’s competence in the area of: 

• Pre-reading/Reading Skills 
• Pre-writing/Writing Skills (Handwriting without Tears) 
• Math Skills Number Recognition and Counting
  • Number Concepts
  • Graphing
  • Measurement
• Oral Language Development 
• Listening Skills
• Critical Thinking Skills
• Position and Spatial Relationships
• Hands-on Science Investigation and Experiments
• Discovering Cause and Effect
• Social Skills
• Gross and Fine Motor Skills
• Music and Dance
• Creative Arts
• Dramatic Arts
• Self-Regulation
• Conflict Resolution Skills