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Fort Lee or Ridgefield School Main Number: 201-944-6655

Preschool in Fort Lee and Ridgefield, New Jersey

What to Expect from Our Curriculum

What Is Creative Curriculum?

The creative curriculum approach is when creative teaching methods and strategies are used to teach a concept or a subject. The goal of learning is not to only pass a test but to ensure that concepts are understood beyond the test. Using effective tools, such as creative curriculum strategies, cements lesson concepts in a manner where learning lasts forever.

Creative curriculum is based on the fact that learning should be made relevant to students’ everyday lives. Subjects are never isolated in watertight compartments, but rather interconnected and interdependent. Hence, in real life when a child sees the rain, the concepts taught through various subjects are practiced, learned, and reinforced.

Differentiate Learning for Every Child

Individualize instruction by understanding how children’s abilities progress and supporting them with unique color-coded progressions that show the typical development of skills from birth through third grade. Effectively scaffold learning experiences to respond to each child’s current strengths and needs, including those with disabilities, with embedded guidance and strategies located on curricular resources.

Inspire Children With Project-Based, Investigative Learning

Build children’s confidence, creativity, and critical thinking skills through hands-on, project-based investigations. Promote discovery and inquiry with opportunities for children to think critically and develop process skills with rich, hands-on investigations of relevant and interesting topics in the classroom. Reinforce learning with family-friendly activities designed for home.

More Quality Time With Every Child

Streamline planning, teaching, and family engagement anywhere, anytime, with 24/7 access to the curriculum; family-friendly curated, multimedia playlists tied directly to classroom instruction; a Digital Children’s Library; and two-way communications with families to reinforce learning at home and facilitate a close home-school connection.

Nurture Mathematics Skill Development

Throughout the day, include meaningful discussions and applications to develop the essential mathematical process skills of problem-solving, reasoning, communicating, making connections, and representing. Just like these skills are used by children in their daily lives, we integrate mathematics skill each day in our pre-k curriculum.

Promote Language and Literacy Skills

Each day, utilize daily resources focused on language and literacy skill development, and read aloud using our children’s book collection and Digital Children’s Library from a wide range of genres that explore life in other cultures, celebrate diversity, spark curiosity, and inspire children’s imaginations.

Build the Social–Emotional Foundation Children Need

Promote social–emotional development with support from a new foundation volume focused on social–emotional, physical, and cognitive development; Teaching Guides with a special social–emotional, including The First Six Weeks: Building Your Preschool Classroom Community; Daily Resources designed to build social–emotional skills; and embedded coaching and support for social–emotional development.

Busy Bee Yearly Curriculum

Pre-Kindergarten (4 ½ to 5 ½ Year Olds)

September

Study: Beginning of the Year

Focus Questions:

  • What do we need to know about school?
  • What do we do when we are scared?
  • What are school rules?
  • How do we make friends?

Concepts: Name practice, Color, Number, and Letter Assessments, Five Senses

Celebrations: Grandparents Day, Rosh Hashanah

October

Study: Trees

Focus Questions:

  • What are characteristics of trees in our community?
  • Who lives in trees?
  • What foods grow on trees?
  • Who takes care of trees?
  • How do trees change?
  • What can we do with parts of trees?

Concepts: Letters: b, c, d, f – Positional words, Same and Different, Numbers 1–3, Leaf Discovery

Celebrations: Grandparents Day, Rosh Hashanah, Diwali

November

Study: Building

Focus Questions:

  • What do we know about buildings?
  • Building in our community.
  • Who builds buildings?
  • What tools are used?
  • What are buildings made of?
  • What makes buildings strong?

Concepts: Letters: g, h, j, k – Shapes, Numbers 4–6, Building Material Discovery

Celebrations: Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving

December

Study: Clothing

Focus Questions:

  • What do we know about clothes?
  • What are clothes made of?
  • What are the features of clothes?

Concepts: Letters: l, m – Measuring, Numbers 7, 8, Sink or Float Discovery

Celebrations: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice

January

Study: Clothing

Focus Questions:

  • How do we take care of our clothes?
  • How is cloth made?
  • What special clothes do people wear?

Concepts: Letters: n, p, q, r – Patterns, Numbers 9–11, Water Discovery

Celebrations: New Year’s, Martin Luther King, Lunar New Year

February

Study: Boxes

Focus Questions:

  • What do we know about boxes?
  • What can we do with boxes?
  • What are the characteristics of boxes?
  • Which jobs involve boxes?
  • How are boxes made?

Concepts: Letters: s, t, v, w – Prediction, Numbers 12–14, Weather Discovery

Celebrations: Black History Month, Dental Health Month

March

Study: Roads

Focus Questions:

  • What do we know about roads?
  • What are some characteristics of roads?
  • How do roads help people in their everyday lives?
  • How are roads made?
  • Who makes them?

Concepts: Letters: x, y, z – Graphing, Numbers 15–17, Music Discovery

Celebrations: Read Across America, Hina Matsuri, Ramadan, St. Patrick’s

April

Study: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Focus Questions:

  • What do we know about reduce, reuse, recycle?
  • What do people throw away?
  • Where does the trash go?
  • What do workers do there?
  • How does trash and garbage affect our community?
  • How are roads made? Who makes them?

Concepts: Letters: a, e – Graphing, Numbers 18–20, Compost Discovery

Celebrations: Autism Awareness, Earth Day, Easter

May

Study: Insects

Focus Questions:

  • What do we know about insects?
  • What are the characteristics of insects?
  • Where and how do insects live?
  • What insects are in our community?
  • Who works with insects?
  • How do insects help the earth?

Concepts: Letters: i, o, u – Addition, Number Review 1–20, Living vs Non-Living Discovery

Celebrations: Mother’s Day, Cinco De Mayo, Teacher Appreciation Week, Memorial Day

June

Study: Pets

Focus Questions:

  • What do we know about pets?
  • What kinds of animals are pets?
  • Where do pets live?
  • What do pets eat?

Concepts: Letter Review, Addition, Number Review 1–20, Magnet Discovery

Celebrations: Father’s Day, Summer

July

Study: Pets

Focus Questions:

  • How do we care for pets?
  • Who cares for pets?
  • How do pets make us feel?

Concepts: Letter Review, Addition, Number Review 1–20, Ocean Discovery

Celebrations:Fourth of July, End of Year

Calendar

For inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is play important for my child’s learning?
Play helps children develop social, emotional, and cognitive skills naturally. We use play to encourage creativity and problem-solving.
What kinds of activities help my child grow at preschool?
Most programs include choice time, small groups, music, movement, and outdoor play. We tailor activities to support learning in fun ways.
How does preschool build my child’s confidence?
Confidence comes from giving children choices, positive encouragement, and chances to do things independently, which we prioritize daily.
How is my child’s emotional development supported?
Our educators encourage children to express feelings, listen carefully, and learn empathy and cooperation.
How do I know my child is safe and cared for?
We maintain a safe environment through constant supervision, age-appropriate activities, and caring staff to keep children engaged and secure.
Give Your Child the Best Start

Discover a caring and inspiring environment where your child can grow, learn, and succeed. Contact us today to get started!