Our Programs
Our hands-on learning environment is designed with an understanding of child development, knowledge of each child’s strengths, interests, and needs, and an awareness of their social and cultural uniqueness.
Our curriculum choices and programs are rooted in and viewed through the lens of God’s Word. Integrated naturally through all that is taught are the basic truths:
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God loves you.
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God made you, the world, and everything in it.
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Jesus is a friend who will never leave you.
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You can trust God no matter what.
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You must treat others the way you want to be treated.
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You can make wise choices.
INFANTS:
Plenty of Love, Cuddles, and Care
Our Baby Bear and Snuggle Bear infant rooms are safe, hygienic, and stimulating spaces with experienced caregivers to attend to your infants’ needs in a loving and responsive manner. The Baby Bear classroom is designed for newborns six weeks and older. The Snuggle Bear classroom accommodates older infants who are beginning to crawl and explore their environment.
Sensory Exploration
Since infants learn about their world through their senses, we provide sensory experiences via music, sound toys, textured materials, floor and wall mirrors, and activities like finger painting and water play. This contributes to infants’ development and growth and gives meaning to the world around them.
Language Development
Reciprocal interaction is vital to your infants’ social, emotional, and cognitive development. Therefore, at Kids in the Village Early Learning Center we talk to the infants throughout the day—while changing a diaper, during feeding and holding times, etc.—pointing out interesting objects, using rhymes and songs, and reading to them. The infants, in turn, begin vocalizing sounds to themselves, other people, and toys. By constantly communicating, our staff creates a responsive learning environment.
Fine and Gross Motor Skills Practice
At Kids in the Village Early Learning Center, we understand the importance of strengthening your infants’ fine and gross motor muscles. Therefore, we engage in daily “tummy time” on a cushioned mat, providing rattles, infant climbers, and various toys to encourage your infants’ ongoing growth in this area.
TODDLERS:
Meeting Emerging Independence with Encouragement and Support
During this developmental stage, your child will become mobile and explore the world from a new and unique perspective. This change increases their level of curiosity. Our staff are trained to create balance between encouragement and support and following limits to ensure ongoing safety.
Art and Sensory Exploration
Your toddlers’ five senses continue to add meaning to their perception of the world. This is encouraged by offering paints, crayons, sensory dough, and dramatic play for the toddlers to express themselves.
Kids in the Village Early Learning Center provides a weekly Music/Bible class which allows them to use a variety of musical instruments and visual aids to learn about the Bible.
Language and Cognitive Development
During this crucial period when language and reasoning is emerging, our caregivers constantly talk to, interact with, and read to your toddlers to provide them with a baseline of words to help develop vocabulary.
Circle Time
Circle time is an interactive and meaningful time featuring songs; instruction about the week, month, and year; and going over the plans for today’s class activities. Although circle time is intentionally brief for this age group, it establishes routine and creates a sense of security for the toddlers.
Gross Motor Skills Practice
Outside playtime is especially fun while large motor muscles are still developing! Kids in The Village Early Learning Center has a toddler playground with a soft, spongelike surface to provide opportunities for toddlers to climb, run, walk, and use push or ride-on toys. Walking toddlers are gradually trained to use a walk rope to explore the rest of the campus, while non-walking toddlers are wheeled around on our teacher-operated buggies.
PRESCHOOL:
Instilling a Love of Learning
The preschool years are a unique time in a young child’s life. During this stage, children begin to broaden their level of trust to include people who do not belong to their immediate family. Preschool-aged children are independent, learning to better control their emotions, engaging in socially acceptable ways, and becoming keen observers of their environment.
Language and Literacy
Given their developing and inquiring minds, preschool-aged children will ask lots of questions to better understand how things function and interact with one another. They will begin to respond to comments from others, listen and participate in story time, understand that print carries a message, as well as recognize and identify letters by name. To assist in this process, our school offers developmentally appropriate, hands-on tools for language learning, such as word walls, Big Books, audio books, alphabet games, and writing tools such as paper, pencils, markers, chalk, magazines, and stickers.
Experiential Learning Centers
Learning Centers are physical spaces in a classroom that have been specifically designated to encourage further exploration, interaction with peers and self-directed learning. Common Learning Centers that will be found at our school include: Science, Art, Dramatic Play, Transportation and Blocks, Manipulatives, Listening and Sensory.
Physical Development
Preschoolers have mastered or begun to display emerging skills such as running, swinging, and balancing. This increases their confidence, and they are eager to try new challenges like kicking and throwing or catching a ball. Fine motor muscles in the hand and wrist, such as those used to cut paper and utilize writing tools, still require consistent practice and encouragement.
Early Socialization
Socialization is crucial to the cognitive and emotional development of children preparing to enter kindergarten. It refers to the ability to follow rules and routines and behave in a socially acceptable way, as well as interact with both adults and children. We believe that each child is a uniquely created gift from God and made in His Image. We strive to create an environment where children are accepted and celebrated at each area of their development and are given the necessary tools to grow and develop to their fullest potential.
Optional Parent-Teacher Conferences
We consider it a privilege to partner with parents to assist them in their vital role of preparing their children for elementary education. Parent-Teacher Conferences occur during winter and spring. This designated time allows parents and teachers to discuss their mutual goals for their children’s development.
KINDERGARTEN:
Preparation for the Big World in a Supportive and Fun Learning Environment
Kindergarten is considered the building blocks of a child’s formal education. Kindergarten readiness is evaluated by determining when children can communicate needs, share, take turns, interact positively with others, follow instructions, use a pencil, pay attention, recognize letters of the alphabet, count as high as twenty, and demonstrate and enthusiasm about trying new activities.
Our program builds on these foundational social and academic skills in a supportive Christian environment and a class size where the ratio is twelve students to one teacher.
ELEMENTARY:
Before and After Care Programs with Enrichment
Elementary students, grades K—5, are welcome to create art projects, read, work on homework, play computer games, and enjoy physical activities in the KITV Barn, a two-story campus facility with a gymnasium and numerous activity rooms. Bus transportation to and from Methacton School District schools is provided.