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Eco Friends is a science- and ecology-based curriculum strand designed to meet the content standards established by state and national boards of education for early childhood instruction, in particular children two through five years of age. The lessons in Eco Friends introduce young children to the four main fields of science – physical, life, environmental, and earth and space. Children will also learn about the scientific method and the six basic science process skills: observation, communication, comparison and classification, measurement, inference, and prediction. Through interesting, interactive, hands-on activities using multi-sensory teaching methods, young children involved in Eco Friends will explore, discover, and make sense of the world around them.

Philosophy

Teaching science to children involves teaching skills more than facts. Children learn best through experiences that interest them or that apply directly to them. They are naturally curious and want to know how things work, why things happen, and what is happening in the world around them. Science activities meet this need in children by providing them hands-on opportunities to get involved. Science in early childhood is not only about ‘doing’ science activities as an integral part of daily life, science learning should be woven into everything the children do.

There are three important areas of science that should be included in science learning: the scientific process, science knowledge, and scientific attitudes.

1. The scientific process involves asking questions and seeking the answers to those questions–-a skill that is used regularly in all aspects of life.

2. Science knowledge encompasses the basic concepts of science, or what is known about the world.

3. Scientific attitudes focus on dispositions to science, such as curiosity, imagination, and respect for doing things in a specific way to validate results. (Virginia Standards of Learning, 2002)

Learning the scientific process should command significant attention when educating young children. Just as children must learn to crawl before they walk or run, certain ‘skills’ need to be learned before children can make sense of the scientific process. These ‘skills’ are referred to as science process skills, and they form the foundation for teaching science. Most scientists recognize six science process skills. Ironically, these skills are used by children and teachers everyday in various capacities, but are not always associated with science learning. When the connection between these skills and science learning is made that children become actively involved in science.

Listed below is a brief description of each of the six science process skills included in the Eco Friends curriculum:

Observation. Using the five senses to watch things with a purpose in mind; finding out about objects or events and what makes them unique or similar.

Communication. Describing characteristics, properties, and changes in objects or events; using language (both spoken and written) to share information and ideas with others; using graphs, charts, and drawings to document information from observations.

Comparison and Classification. Noticing similarities and differences among objects or events and sorting, grouping, or ordering them based on those properties and attributes; includes recognizing and following set patterns.

Measurement. Understanding quantity, size, and volume and comparing an unknown amount with a known unit; using measurement tools.

Inference. Explaining or interpreting observations; drawing conclusions from events.

Hypothesizing and Prediction. Making an informed guess based on observations; formulating a belief of what might happen based on evidence, observations, and inferences and that can be tested through experimentation.

Linda is a program development specialist. Our curriculum benefits from her 23 years of expertise. She's also taught all age groups of children, with an emphasis on preschool and prekindergarten.

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Ecology is defined as “a branch of science concerned with the interrelationship of organisms and their environments.” At The Grove School, children learn to take their environment into consideration every day through the materials they use, the activities they engage in, their awareness of their surroundings, and their interactions with others.

By providing opportunities for children to explore and experience nature in appropriate ways, we instill in them a caring and respect for their environment. Environmentalist Carol Petrash sums this up by saying, “Environmental awareness will come naturally to children when it is integrated into the early childhood classroom and home as a way of life” (Earthways, 1992).

Environmental awareness is imbedded in the Eco Friends lessons. As the children learn about animals, plants, themselves and the world around them, we are instilling in them a respect for each other and providing them with tools to care for each.

Linda is a program development specialist. Our curriculum benefits from her 23 years of expertise. She's also taught all age groups of children, with an emphasis on preschool and prekindergarten.

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Physical fitness and nutrition go hand in hand. Healthy Me teaches children the importance of physical activity as well as nutritious foods.

The benefits of Healthy Me influence every domain of a child’s development–emotional, social, physical, and cognitive. The Grove School aims to foster children’s self-esteem, build interaction and teamwork skills, develop movement capabilities, and enhance an understanding of what it means to be healthy and physically fit.

Healthy Me Goals

Our school day offers developmentally and individually appropriate experiences that help children gain confidence in their movement and develop healthy lifestyles. Overall goals guiding the program are identified below. These goals address the program’s purpose, and are in alignment with the standards and guidelines set forth by the American Association for Health Education (AAHE) and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE).

Our goals for the Healthy Me program are to:

- Improve children’s levels of fitness through movement
- Nurture children’s natural love of moving through playful movement activities
- Enhance children’s understanding of movement concepts, principles, and strategies
- Help children develop the dispositions, knowledge, and interpersonal skills necessary for achieving and maintaining health-related fitness
- Increase children’s understanding of the roles of physical activity and nutritious foods in the body’s performance
- Provide children with information that will positively influence their physical fitness and food choices
- Generate enthusiasm among children and families for healthful living

Linda is a program development senior specialist and holds a master's degree in Early Childhood Education. She loves the fact that The Grove School curriculum and learning environments help children take care of themselves, one another and the natural world.

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In addition to the primary focus on physical activity and movement, Healthy Me teaches children the importance of eating nutritious foods. Nutrition concepts taught in the lessons are based on guidelines and recommendations from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid for Kids.

When teaching nutrition concepts to young children, we take into consideration that children come from a variety of backgrounds in terms of the foods they are exposed to and the foods they eat on a regular basis. Teachers try to keep any personal biases or feelings about certain foods out of the lessons. Food choices and preferences vary greatly from family to family. We accept and respect these variations.

We also support the understanding that all foods can provide beneficial nutrients to the body. Therefore, no food should ever be labeled as either “good” or “bad.” In Healthy Me, foods that provide the most benefits to the body are referred to as “anytime” foods. Children and families learn that anytime foods are foods that support growth and provide the body with energy and nutrients that maintain health. Children learn to enjoy a variety of “anytime” foods each day.

On the other hand, “sometimes” foods are foods that may provide energy, but do not provide essential vitamins and minerals the body needs to grow. Children and families learn that “sometimes” foods can occasionally be included in their meals and snacks.

Linda is a program development senior specialist and holds a master's degree in Early Childhood Education. She loves the fact that The Grove School curriculum and learning environments help children take care of themselves, one another and the natural world.

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The Grove School Fine-Arts curriculum holds true to the philosophy that creative expression is a vital activity for developing healthy minds. Painting, drawing, sculpture, and other fine arts stimulate the imagination, increase self-confidence, inspire creative risk-taking and exploration, and foster a lifelong desire for knowledge through experiential learning.

In all creative endeavors children are encouraged to use their imaginations; concepts are provided and skills are taught as tools for creative expression, originality and innovation, rather than as rules to follow for specific outcomes. As long as everyone follows the rules of the classroom, there is no “right or wrong” way to bring images, feelings and stories to life with art.

Megan directs our program development team and oversees educational curriculum for the company. Formerly she taught 3rd grade in the CA Public Schools for 5 years and worked as a producer for 5 years at Leapfrog developing interactive toys for 3-6 year olds.

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Exposing children to images of master artwork, even at the young age of two years, is important for several reasons:

1. Visually stimulating artwork depicting bold shapes and bright colors captures children’s attention and curiosity, and motivates them to experiment with new art forms and techniques, as well as art tools.

2. Familiar images remind children of elements in their own lives to depict in their artwork, and unfamiliar images can rouse curiosity and humor, and spark imagination.

3. The earlier children are exposed to multiple artistic traditions, such as American and European masterpieces by van Gogh, Picasso, O’Keefe, and Kandinsky, the indigenous art traditions of Australia, Africa, the Americas, and Pacific Island, and the classic art forms of Asia, the Middle East, and India, the sooner they will recognize all artistic expression as worthy of interest rather than only the familiar traditions of their specific country of origin.

The following passage from the book The Colors of Learning: Integrating the Visual Arts into the Early Childhood Curriculum, expands on the importance of exposing children to master artworks:

“When children become familiar with artists and their work, art becomes real to them. They learn that different media and techniques are used by artists to obtain different effects. They can become totally absorbed in painting in a manner similar to that of Jackson Pollock. They can see similarities between their art processes and the collages of artists like Henri Matisse… Such insights can motivate children to act on art media to express their own ideas.” (page 102)

Such insights can motivate children to act on art media to express their own ideas. Talking with each other about their ideas gives children an appreciation of each other’s efforts, and the opportunity to use art language. Children also appreciate knowing about artists’ lives and the media, tools, and techniques they use. Children enjoy learning that artists come from various backgrounds and diverse cultures, and that artists may be found in the communities in which they themselves live.” (page 102)

In addition, multiple creative forms, such as drawing, painting, sculpture, collage ,origami, mosaic, and puzzles are important for a true appreciation of the fine arts according to the philosophy of Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE). As paraphrased from sections of the book The Quiet Evolution: Changing the Face of Arts Education, DBAE can be described as a comprehensive approach to arts education using the philosophy that art is an essential part of every child’s education, speaking to students in a language that communicates ideas, reveals symbols, forges connections, and helps prepare them for life.

The intention of DBAE is that children will creatively relate the important ideas found in works of art to the problems, issues, ideas, and events of their contemporary world and of their own lives.

Megan directs our program development team and oversees educational curriculum for the company. Formerly she taught 3rd grade in the CA Public Schools for 5 years and worked as a producer for 5 years at Leapfrog developing interactive toys for 3-6 year olds.

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There is wide agreement among the scientific and educational communities that motor skills develop as a result of the interaction between a child’s hereditary potential and his or her life experiences. Children’s physical abilities and motor skills develop in a predictable manner. Changes in physical development are qualitative, sequential, cumulative, directional, multifactorial, and individual (NASPE, 1995).

Here’s a description of these characteristics.

Qualitative. Children’s motor skills change in qualitative ways as they grow and gain experience. For example, the running of a three-year-old child looks very different from the running of a nine-year-old child. The movement patterns of typically developing children become more effective as they age.

Sequential. Children’s motor skills develop in a sequential, orderly manner over time, progressing naturally from immature to advanced. Activities designed to support children’s physical development should follow a scope and sequence based on both vertical and
horizontal progressions of skill development. Activities within each block of Healthy Me follow a scope and sequence based on knowledge of motor-skill development in children. The early childhood years are associated with the fundamental movement phase of motor development. Healthy Me teachers have knowledge of the typical sequence of acquisition for fundamental motor skills such as walking and jumping.

Cumulative. Developmental change is built upon previous developments. Fundamental motor skills act as building blocks for more complex skills. For example, the ability to walk is a building block for the later emergence of the ability to run. Foundational skills and abilities should be developed before more complex and difficult skills are introduced. Children are offered sufficient opportunities within planned learning experiences to practice the skills they are acquiring. This helps children develop a sense of confidence about their movement abilities. In Healthy Me, children are given multiple opportunities to repeat activities and to explore specific motor skills in multiple ways before more complex activities are introduced.

Directional. Developmental change occurs in a direction, or toward a goal. In terms of movement, the ultimate goal may be for children to become skilled movers. The direction of developmental change can be progressive, moving toward the goal; or regressive, moving away from the goal. Change may be regressive with age, progression of a disease, or lack of practice.

Multifactorial. Motor skills do not develop in a vacuum–they develop simultaneously with skills and abilities in other domains of human development including cognitive, social, affective, and psychomotor. Development depends on many factors acting together. For example, a child must have strength, balance, perceptual capabilities, and motivation to develop the ability to hop on one foot. Healthy Me goals and outcomes consider interactions between all areas of a child’s development. These goals and outcomes have been carefully designed to acknowledge children’s skills and abilities related to all domains of development.

Individualized. In addition to following the predetermined program scope and sequence for skills instruction within each block, teachers implement Healthy Me in a way that is consistent with children’s individual abilities, skills, and knowledge. Motor-skill development is age-related, but not age-determined. For example, one four year-old may have developed the ability to alternate feet while ascending stairs, but another child of the same age may still be placing both feet on each step. The rate of motor-skill development differs from one child to another, depending on each child’s body characteristics, experiences, and environmental situations.

Healthy Me considers children’s individual characteristics such as developmental status, body size, age, previous movement experiences, and fitness and skill levels. The program recognizes differing capabilities for movement and provides learning experiences that challenge each child to move to his or her next stage of development.

Linda is a program development senior specialist and holds a master's degree in Early Childhood Education. She loves the fact that The Grove School curriculum and learning environments help children take care of themselves, one another and the natural world.

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The science environment in a young child’s world is actually the world itself–objects to look at and feel, lights that turn on at the flick of a switch, fish in an aquarium, shadows on the sidewalk, or wheels that turn on a tricycle. All of these experiences are related to scientific principles, and young children are ready to explore them.

An interesting science environment for children includes a variety of materials that are safe for them to handle and manipulate, tools to use for observation and experimentation, and writing or drawing tools for documentation. Adequate space in which to perform observations and experiments is also necessary for successful science learning.

Books and pictures that feature science subjects are used in the Eco Friends activities. Tools that are portable, such as magnifying glasses and color paddles also encourage children to use the entire classroom or outdoor spaces as their science lab, rather than limit their experiences to a table or confined space.

Linda is a program development specialist. Our curriculum benefits from her 23 years of expertise. She's also taught all age groups of children, with an emphasis on preschool and prekindergarten.

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Young children are “doing science” every day as they explore their environment and draw conclusions based on their experiences. The evidence of what they have learned is demonstrated in unique and different ways, based on each child’s level of understanding.
One child will represent his science learning through drawing or journaling. Another will use three-dimensional representation, such as constructing a vegetable garden with blocks to represent her learning, while still others will act out their rendition through dramatic play, puppetry, or in conversations with others.

In addition, children’s learning is episodic. Noting what children can do or what they express at a given moment in time might not give a teacher a complete picture of their overall
understanding of science concepts. Often time’s children need to digest what they are learning and fit the pieces together with what they already know before demonstrating understanding. Observing children over time enables teachers to watch the process of learning develop in each child. Therefore, the use of observation and portfolio collection is very much apart of the Eco Friends curriculum.

Linda is a program development specialist. Our curriculum benefits from her 23 years of expertise. She's also taught all age groups of children, with an emphasis on preschool and prekindergarten.

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During their early years, children go through critical stages of development, and consistent, high-quality education can have long-lasting, beneficial effects on the overall development of children. Choosing a preschool in which your child will be loved and cared for is of utmost importance, of course. But it’s also important to select a school that will partner with your family to ensure your child’s healthy development throughout his or her early years.

Social and Emotional Development

Having your child attend the same preschool program throughout his or her early years allows him or her to develop relationships with the adults and children in that environment, which provides a sense of security. A child who is comfortable with the people in his or her life is more likely to participate in learning opportunities and in advanced cooperative play, such as roleplaying with others, playing games with rules, and working with others to accomplish goals. Children who experience consistency in their program demonstrate less aggressive behaviors, because of their ability to interact with others and use their language to resolve conflicts. For young children, the knowledge that teachers, other children, and daily routines will be consistent over time fosters confidence and competency in social settings.

Cognitive Development

Consistency in the preschool program can significantly impact a child’s cognitive development. High-quality programs that provide developmentally appropriate curricula enable children to develop specific cognitive skills at the appropriate age. Developmentally appropriate curricula help children develop cognitive skills through a developmental continuum, meaning the curricula builds on children’s existing skills and knowledge to help them acquire new skills and knowledge. In addition, curriculum programs that incorporate developmental objectives ensure children follow a scope and sequence of age-appropriate developmental milestones throughout their time in the program.

Language Development

Language development occurs at a rapid pace in children between the ages of one and five years old. Children who are secure in their environment and with the people around them are more likely to engage in frequent, age-appropriate conversations. These daily interactions lead to more advanced language skills by promoting vocabulary development and conversational skills. Through activities such as daily group discussions, fingerplays, songs, and read-alouds, children develop the fundamental language skills they will continue to build on throughout their lifetimes.

Meg is an editor in our Education Department. She’s been writing and editing for over 20 years, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction, Early Childhood Education.

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