Methodology
Todays Preschoolers
As educators, we constantly strive to prepare our students for the ‘real world’ that exists around them.
We want to prepare them to lead productive and successful lives; as well as to grow up to be a mentsch!
But what lies ahead for our students in the future? Did educators of twenty years ago know what skills would be needed in the job market today?
Unlikely, but yet they had to do their best to prepare their students for this world anyhow.
Nowadays, educators are still charged with the same complicated task – preparing students for the unknown!
The 4 C's Approach
Experts worldwide acknowledge that today’s children need more than the traditional 3 R’s (reading, writing, and arithmetic) to prepare the children for their future.
Leaders in the field of education are adding the 4C’s. These are the uniquely human skills that must be nurtured in order to thrive in the modern workplace and beyond. With the 4C’s approach, children develop greater capacities for grit, resilience, empathy, altruism and the ability to think and work with othe
Putting It All Together
How can our children succeed at developing the 4C’s?
How can a curriculum maintain a high academic standard but also enrich our children with these lifelong skills?
The 4C’s are already incorporated into the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education as they represent some of its fundamental values.
Reggio Emilia
Coastal Gan is inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy. We hope to provide our young learners with a lifelong LOVE for learning, innovation, and thinking out of the box, along with a Judaic curriculum taught in an authentic, hands-on and creative way. It is a project-based approach to early childhood education.
We believe every child is unique, with his/her own interests and learning styles. Rather than limit the child to single forms of expression, we encourage your children to share their learning through art, dance, dialogue or any other means to make their thinking visible.
Therefore, we give children the opportunity to interact in a meaningful environment where they can construct new ideas, learn to think, reason, question, problem-solve, and experiment, as they discover who they are and the world around them.
Reggio Emilia and the 4C’s
Communication
Through encounters with a wide range of media and materials, children become more comfortable and skilled with various materials. They begin to use the materials to communicate or represent their understandings, emotions, discoveries, and interests (“The Hundred Languages”).
We use the Conscious Discipline approach to classroom management to teach children appropriate communication skills necessary to manage themselves, demonstrate assertiveness,
and resolve conflict peaceful
Collaboration
Groups, both large and small, are encouraged to work together to problem-solve using dialogue, comparisons, negotiations, and other important interpersonal skills. Each child’s voice is heard in order to promote a balance between a sense of belonging to the group and a sense of self.
Dedicated, supportive and loving teachers stand at the cornerstone of The Gan. Our teachers are partners, nurturers, and guides who help facilitate the exploration of topics as the children work on short and long-term projects.
Parental partnership and commitment are crucial to our children’s success. Children blossom when they have their parents’ backing and support.
Critical Thinking
Our teachers and staff set up environments where the children love to learn (The Third Teacher).
This allows the children to experiment, predict and ask questions.
Then the teachers facilitate thoughtful higher order thinking conversations that allows the child to think and delve deeper.
Creativity
Children are given the opportunity to learn through different artistic forms.
Various materials, tools and equipment are made available to children giving them freedom to explore their potential.
Children then come to fully understand an art medium: how it behaves, how it can be used, how it feels on our bodies and what tools are needed to work with it.
The Focus is on the Process, Not the Product
Learning is about the experience the child is having and not necessarily about what the project looks like.
We use materials that promote creativity, are multisensory and have real meaning for the children.
Product oriented art activities that encourage “copycat” artwork can discourage a child’s individual creativity.
Process art also supports the development and learning of the WHOLE child in all content areas of the curriculum which include:
- Social and emotional development
- Cognitive development
- Physical development
Jewish Education at Coastal Gan
We want your children to feel a sense of belonging and pride in their Jewish heritage! We have created a curriculum that weaves academic disciplines, along with Jewish values, into everyday
activities.
Jewish Identity is explored through song, story, art, cooking and movement. Jewish traditions are enriched through additional holiday and Shabbat activities.
More About Us
Our Staff
Our preschool is staffed with trained early childhood educators. Each member of our school faculty is sensitive to the needs of the children and their families and has a strong commitment to quality Jewish education. The faculty meets weekly to discuss curriculum, plan programs and share and exchange ideas. In order to uphold the high standards of our program, staff development is ongoing throughout the year. This ensures that our teachers remain alert to the ever-changing needs of today's families and to the findings of current research.
Our director, Chaya, and our teachers are an unusually dedicated group of professionals whose level of commitment to each child does not stop at the classroom door, and whose commitment to early childhood education is truly an avocation. As a result, they bring to their jobs a unique and special blend of professional skills and personal experience.
Babies and Toddler
Our baby and toddler program is designed for the very young child to transition from the sensory-motor world of toddlers to an increasingly social world. Through stimulating learning centers, children have the opportunity to move purposefully, assert their independence, and learn to communicate with their peers. Our experienced and talented teachers use these centers and many enriching activities to foster learning and growth in a warm and nurturing environment. Activities are open ended and emphasize process over product.
3s and 4s Year Olds
The rich classroom environment for our 3 and 4’s class is a place where children are challenged to learn while making friends, developing self-confidence, and self-direction. Changes to the learning environment, activities, and projects reflect the children’s emerging interests.
Daily language experiences support literacy and language development. Mathematical reasoning and scientific thought is emphasized throughout the centers. These pre-math and pre-literacy skills are the building blocks for their future academic success in the years following their preschool experience.