Early Childhood Programs in Shrewsbury, MA

12 weeks through 15 months

A more in-depth review of our philosophy and objectives for the Infant Program is provided in the Parent Information Booklet at the time of enrollment.

Our Infant “Curriculum” is based primarily on play and developing a loving, consistent and secure relationship between each child and their Primary Caregiver. Our efforts are directed toward providing a safe, loving, and healthy environment for young children and building a mutually positive relationship with parents.

Our staff is responsive to each child’s needs, temperament, and schedule. The Caregivers in the Infant Program also ensure that each child has many supportive opportunities to explore their environment and gain new experiences through frequent and stimulating interactions with the caregivers and other children.

Our program emphasizes frequent and meaningful communication between parents and caregivers. Regular daily written and verbal communication is essential to meeting the unique individual needs of each child. Please refer to the Parent Information Packet for detailed information and a “typical” daily activities and routines.

Our Infant Program consists of 2 Infant rooms and 6 Infant Caregivers. Our Infant 1 room provides care for children 12 weeks through 8 months (approximately). We also provide a mixed Infant/Toddler room (Toddler 1) for children to transition between 12 and 15 months. Transitioning to this room is based on the observations and recommendations of the Infant 2 caregivers, the Toddler 1 Lead Teacher, and the Program Director. More detailed information on transitions is provided in the Parent Information Packet.

15 months through 33 months

The primary goals of the Toddler Program are to provide a warm, caring, and stimulating environment for young children and opportunities to develop socially, intellectually, physically and emotionally.

Toddlers learn best by experiencing and interacting with their environment. We strive to provide consistent, pleasurable, and rewarding interactions between children and adults so that children develop a sense of trust in their environment and their teachers while developing positive feelings about their abilities. The development of warm relationships and positive self-esteem are highly valued by our program and staff.

Children in our Toddler Program are provided with frequent opportunities to practice newly acquired skills such as toileting, eating, and dressing. We believe that children learn best by discovery and imitation. We strive to provide a child-centered program to take advantage of a wide range of activities, materials, and learning activities available through a center-based program. We place an emphasis on language learning as a building block for more formal learning experiences as children grow.

To:

• Provide daily experiences that are warm, emotionally supportive, consistent, predictable, and safe
• Provide ample opportunities for social interactions with children of various ages.
• Provide opportunities for exploration and manipulative objects, learning materials, toys, etc.
• Provide experiences and activities appropriate to the child’s current level of development.
• Provide guidance and support toward self-control and a sense of competence.
• Provide a wide variety of creative, open-ended activities emphasizing play
• Provide opportunities for large and small muscle activities indoors and outdoors.
• Provide support to families as partners in child development and parenting issues.
• Allow children to develop their own premier pace without placing inappropriate expectations on their development.
• Encourage creativity, problem-solving, and the joy of learning.

2.9 to 5 years

The Shrewsbury Children’s Center philosophy, curriculum, and classroom environments are child-centered and designed to take advantage of the natural learning situations that develop through children’s play. We emphasize active, hands-on exploration and strive to help children learn about themselves and the world around them through discovery and play.

We seek the children’s input in planning activities in areas they are naturally interested in or curious about. Children are offered opportunities to make choices regarding the types of activities they will spend their time with during the day. We provide opportunities for children to develop a positive self-image, social skills, and creative expression. We emphasize learning through experience. Art, music, imaginative play, language development, natural science, and movement activities are some of the areas that the children have opportunities to experience.

The teachers plan and prepare experiences for small group activities that include, where appropriate, experiences with numbers, letters, and opportunities for beginning writing activities.

Our daily schedule of activities reflects a balance of individual and group activities, quiet and active activities, child determined, and teacher planned activities.