The Settlement

The Settlement Preschool uses developmentally appropriate curriculums for our 18 month old children through our pre-kindergartners. Using this framework, our teachers are able to teach in the ways that best match the way in which we know young children develop and learn. The end result is to have the child prepared for Kindergarten.

Children learn best by doing, and our curriculums use a developmental hands-on approach built around weekly and/or monthly themes. During each week we address all areas of development: social, emotional, physical (large and small motor), cognitive and language development. Lesson plans are usually prepared weekly and posted in each classroom. There is a balance between teacher-directed and child-initiated activities. Children are introduced to letters, numbers, colors, writing skills, coloring, classroom etiquette and much more.

Each classroom is set up in a learning center configuration, which allows each child to choose his/her activities in the different classroom areas. The activities in each learning center are planned by the teachers to facilitate discovery learning.

The daily schedule includes large group, small group, and individual activities as well as learning center times. The children are guided and encouraged to learn new self-help skills, think for themselves, make choices, experiment, explore, make mistakes, and have a lot of fun in the process.

Our programs integrate numbers, letters, art, music, physical education, and social building in a safe, warm and loving environment that helps children grow intellectually, socially, emotionally and physically.

Our goals emphasize high quality childcare and academic instruction in a nurturing environment. We believe that children can learn an incredible amount of knowledge in their youngest years. We provide for each child’s individual needs and emphasize cognitive, emotional, and social skills to meet these needs.