Early Childhood
Early Childhood Department
The Zahava and Moshael Straus Early Childhood Center, under the leadership of Morah Divsha Tollinsky, services children from Nursery through Kindergarten. In partnership with trained early teachers, psychologists and administrators, a robust curriculum has been designed to meet the needs all of students - both their educational as well as social emotional needs.
Nursery
• Social/Emotional
o Negotiating play
o Move from Parallel play to Cooperative play
o Learn to work as a community
o Understand that being kind to your friends is most important
o Negotiating play
o Move from Parallel play to Cooperative play
o Learn to work as a community
o Understand that being kind to your friends is most important
• Movement
o Body awareness
o Yoga
o Use indoor and outdoor play spaces for free play
• Music
o Special Morah Keli time once a week
o Additional in class learning through song
• Literacy
o Expanded vocabulary
o Literacy rich environment
o Answer questions about a story
o Retell a story
o Recognize friend’s names and the letters in their name
o Expanded vocabulary
o Literacy rich environment
o Answer questions about a story
o Retell a story
o Recognize friend’s names and the letters in their name
• Math
o Identify shapes
o Compare sizes of objects
o Introduction to the language of math
o Count to ten
o Understand far, near, most and fewest
o Play matching games
o Identify shapes
o Compare sizes of objects
o Introduction to the language of math
o Count to ten
o Understand far, near, most and fewest
o Play matching games
• Science
o Explore nature
o Learn about animals
o Beginning exploration of the five senses
o Integrated science into the themes of the week
o Weekly cooking and baking
o Explore nature
o Learn about animals
o Beginning exploration of the five senses
o Integrated science into the themes of the week
o Weekly cooking and baking
• Hebrew Immersion
o Early exposure to Hebrew songs and games
o Family names in Hebrew (mother, father, brother, sister)
o Important words that are associated with the Jewish holidays
o Early exposure to Hebrew songs and games
o Family names in Hebrew (mother, father, brother, sister)
o Important words that are associated with the Jewish holidays
• Jewish/Torah
o Connection with and love for Israel
o Discussing and learning about the weekly Torah portions as well as the upcoming Jewish holidays
o Connection with and love for Israel
o Discussing and learning about the weekly Torah portions as well as the upcoming Jewish holidays
Pre-K
• Social/emotional
o Build relationships with others
o Gain the ability to understand and regulate emotions and express feelings in an appropriate way
o Build on their sense of self in relation to others
o Learn to compromise
o Social play (make believe and pretend play)
o Collaborate with friends to create a scene with story lines
• Literacy
o Understand that what they say can be written and read
o Letter/sound recognition of the letters in the alphabet
o Ability to identify the initial consonant sound in a word
o Ability to copy words
o Recognize familiar printed words
o Ability to make a prediction
o Develop oral language
o Develop early writing skills
o Acquaint children with written text – through a print-rich environment, books, poems, and signs…
o Understand that what they say can be written and read
o Letter/sound recognition of the letters in the alphabet
o Ability to identify the initial consonant sound in a word
o Ability to copy words
o Recognize familiar printed words
o Ability to make a prediction
o Develop oral language
o Develop early writing skills
o Acquaint children with written text – through a print-rich environment, books, poems, and signs…
• Math
o Ability to name written numbers
o Begin to understand ideas about measurement
o Count from 1 to 20, but not perfectly
o Ability to follow a sequence or pattern
o Learn to solve easy problems
o Sort by size, color, and other aspects
o Know the names of the penny, nickel and dime.
o Calendar math
o Ability to name written numbers
o Begin to understand ideas about measurement
o Count from 1 to 20, but not perfectly
o Ability to follow a sequence or pattern
o Learn to solve easy problems
o Sort by size, color, and other aspects
o Know the names of the penny, nickel and dime.
o Calendar math
• Science
o Show curiosity about nature
o Experiment and explore
o Talk about discoveries
o Hands-on exploration integrated into the themes in the classroom
o Show curiosity about nature
o Experiment and explore
o Talk about discoveries
o Hands-on exploration integrated into the themes in the classroom
• Hebrew Immersion
o Learn Hebrew songs
o Play games in Hebrew
o Learn to respond to simple questions in Hebrew
o Learn about the Jewish holidays in Hebrew
o Follow classroom directions in Hebrew
o Learn Hebrew songs
o Play games in Hebrew
o Learn to respond to simple questions in Hebrew
o Learn about the Jewish holidays in Hebrew
o Follow classroom directions in Hebrew
• Jewish/Torah
o Learn Israeli culture through art and dance
o Experience the weekly Torah portions through art, music, and drama
o Learn the Jewish holidays in a more in depth setting
o Learn Israeli culture through art and dance
o Experience the weekly Torah portions through art, music, and drama
o Learn the Jewish holidays in a more in depth setting
Kindergarten
• Social/Emotional
o Play with peers in a peaceful and positive way
o Follow classroom rules and adult requests
o Ability to regulate emotions and behaviors in most situations
o Ability to deal with situations without becoming angry or frustrated
o Ability to work cooperatively in a group setting
o Play with peers in a peaceful and positive way
o Follow classroom rules and adult requests
o Ability to regulate emotions and behaviors in most situations
o Ability to deal with situations without becoming angry or frustrated
o Ability to work cooperatively in a group setting
• Literacy
o Recognize letters and their sounds
o Understand that letters make words and words make sentences
o Develop a familiarity and comfort level with all types of print
o Understand that a story has a beginning, middle, and end
o Understand that writing is a means of communication to allow for self-expression
o Begin to approximate conventional spelling using the word wall and other classroom resources
o Recognize letters and their sounds
o Understand that letters make words and words make sentences
o Develop a familiarity and comfort level with all types of print
o Understand that a story has a beginning, middle, and end
o Understand that writing is a means of communication to allow for self-expression
o Begin to approximate conventional spelling using the word wall and other classroom resources
• Math
o Develop critical thinking skills
o Develop one to one correspondence
o Understand that numerals are symbols that represent quantity
o Recognize patterns in the world around us
o Ability to describe and name 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional shapes
o Ability to put objects in order by attributes
o Ability to do simple measurement – both by weight and by length.
o Ability to solve simple arithmetic problems using manipulatives
o Develop critical thinking skills
o Develop one to one correspondence
o Understand that numerals are symbols that represent quantity
o Recognize patterns in the world around us
o Ability to describe and name 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional shapes
o Ability to put objects in order by attributes
o Ability to do simple measurement – both by weight and by length.
o Ability to solve simple arithmetic problems using manipulatives
• Science
o Develop a growing curiosity and interest in the living things that make up their world.
o Observe and describe the properties of trees and leaves in the schoolyard.
o Compare structures and behaviors of different animals.
o Handle animals carefully, and participate in the care and feeding of classroom animals.
o Use drawings and oral language to describe observations.
o Develop a growing curiosity and interest in the living things that make up their world.
o Observe and describe the properties of trees and leaves in the schoolyard.
o Compare structures and behaviors of different animals.
o Handle animals carefully, and participate in the care and feeding of classroom animals.
o Use drawings and oral language to describe observations.
• Hebrew Immersion
o Develop an ability to take learned Hebrew vocabulary and create short sentences
o Begin to answer the teacher’s questions in short Hebrew responses
o Develop a greater comfort with the Hebrew language when learning about Jewish holidays
o Develop an ability to take learned Hebrew vocabulary and create short sentences
o Begin to answer the teacher’s questions in short Hebrew responses
o Develop a greater comfort with the Hebrew language when learning about Jewish holidays
• Jewish/Torah
o Develop a strong connection to Israel through Israeli pen pals and imaginary classroom trips
o Develop a familiarity with Jewish holidays and customs
o Amass an appropriate knowledge of Torah stories
o Develop a strong connection to Israel through Israeli pen pals and imaginary classroom trips
o Develop a familiarity with Jewish holidays and customs
o Amass an appropriate knowledge of Torah stories