Little Crusaders Curriculum

In the St. Louis King of France Little Crusaders Early Childhood Program, your child will begin to create the building blocks of learning through developmentally appropriate teaching.  We are preparing our children to become successful, life-long learners.

As young learners, children will need the ability to:

• Communicate with and respect others, accept diversity and perform as members of a group
• Examine situations, make judgments and solve problems
• Process information through spoken and written language
• Continue to learn new approaches, skills and knowledge as needs change
• Work cooperatively with peers and teachers in a variety of settings

Research shows that children learn by doing, and they need many opportunities to explore and grow.  Preschool activities foster creativity and promote emotional, cognitive, social, language and physical development.  These appropriate activities build self-esteem and enthusiasm for learning.

Our program curriculum is based on current research and sound educational theories of early childhood learning and development.  We provide a wide range of hands-on, interactive materials allowing children to explore their surroundings.

Our Curriculum:

• Provides consistency and a predictable routine, which is comforting to children.  Children learn best when they are relaxed and can anticipate what will happen next.
• Allows for changes necessary to the varying developmental ages in a group.  Even though the children are the same chronological age, their skill levels may vary.
• Encourages children to work together, share and be successful at their individual skill level.
• Encourages participation in reading, listening, Spanish, art, music, dramatic play and creative movement.
• Provides multi-sensory experiences that allow children to learn through touch, smell, taste, vision and sound.  Children learn best when information is provided through all senses.
• Invites exploration and discovery by including open-ended questions to promote thinking and problem solving.
• Encourages independence while following instructional and classroom rules.

Children learn and grow at different speeds, sometimes slowly and other times by leaps and bounds.  We strive to provide a safe and loving environment for your child to learn and grow at their own pace and feel confident doing so.

Skills and curriculum are introduced in order to aid each child’s ability to successfully learn and transition in a classroom setting.  Parents are kept abreast of schedules, curriculum and activities to extend learning time at home and beyond the classroom.