Introduction
St. John’s Lutheran Church established its Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) in 1983. With support from the congregation, and surrounding community, the ECEC has flourished. The ECEC balances traditional educational methodologies with new and innovative ways to teach children between 2 and 5 years of age.
These documents provide general and specific learning objectives captured in the formal curriculum for the ECEC. Using a combination of the Developmentally Appropriate Practices theory, the “Little Lambs” developmental religious curriculum, and the “Creative Curriculum”, the ECEC has customized a curriculum for its students.
This tailored curriculum emphasizes the research conducted by Jean Piaget (Constructivist Theorem) and Leo Vygotsky (Social Learning Theory). The ECEC curriculum is founded upon the understanding that each child has a unique way of learning that occurs mainly through social interaction with others as well as their environment.
Developmental areas of focus include:
- Social/Emotional
- Physical (Large and Fine Gross Motor Skills)
- Language Skills
- Readiness Skills
- Christian Education
The ECEC teachers are very familiar with each child’s developmental stages and enable the children to progress through their learning stages in the areas of focus. Daily interactions emphasize the love of Jesus through prayer, service to others, discussions with church leadership, and chapel (devotional) time.
S.T.E.M
Here at St. John’s ECEC, we support and encourage early STEM learning. STEM stands
for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and it is important because it can be found in every part of our lives. By exposing students to STEM and giving them
opportunities to explore STEM-related concepts, they will develop a passion for it and a
greater understanding of the world around them. We hope that by teaching them STEM
concepts, children will be able to develop a curiosity that will push them to learn more
deeply about all subjects. We also hope that by teaching them STEM concepts early on
in life, they will be more prepared once they enter public schools to be at the forefront of their classes. We hope to include as many fun activities throughout the year as possible to really foster a love for STEM subjects.
Learning Objectives
The following documents highlight the ECEC Curriculum with specific examples of learning objectives arranged by target age.
Kind Koalas Classroom
2 years of age
Caring Catepillars Classroom
3 years of age
Bright Butterflies Classroom
4 years of age
Pre-K Pandas Classroom
4 - 5 years of age