Playful learning promotes happy, successful, lifelong learners!
Accepting Applications for 2024-2025 School Year
At Sunshine at Happy Hearts Learning Center, we believe that art is an essential part of a child's education. Our program provides children ages 2 through 5 with opportunities to explore their creativity through various forms of art, including painting, drawing, and sculpting. Our teachers encourage children to express themselves through their art and use it as a tool for learning.
The Rhode Island Early Learning and Development Standards 2023
Our curriculum is guided by the Rhode Island Early Learning and Development Standards 2023. These standards articulate shared expectations for what young children should know and be able to do. The standards have been derived from the latest research in early childhood development. They include nine domains of learning as referenced above. For more information, please visit their website
The Rhode Island Early Learning and Development Standards
​
​
​
​
Curriculum Guidelines
Physical Health and Motor Development
At Sunshine at Happy Hearts Learning Center, we believe the healthy development of young children is linked to practicing healthy behaviors, strengthening large and small muscles, and developing strength and coordination. Teachers are a role model for health and safety practices. Outdoor play is equally important as children learning to count and recognize the alphabet. It crosses domains of learning such as social and emotional, science, mathematics and more! Our Teachers promote active and engaging outdoor activities every day.
Social Studies
At Sunshine at Happy Hearts Learning Center, we recognize the importance of children developing an awareness of community, history and geography. The children will have opportunities to practice understanding rules of the classroom and solve conflicts. Opportunities for role playing of various occupations occur in dramatic play. Children will explore history, characteristics of others, family members and identify cultural characteristics and traditions of families.
Creative Arts
At Sunshine at Happy Hearts Learning Center, we believe that art is an essential part of a child's education. Our program provides children ages 2 through 5 with opportunities to explore their creativity through various forms of art, including painting, drawing, and sculpting. Our teachers encourage children to express themselves through their art and use it as a tool for learning.
Social and Emotional Development
Social and emotional development includes providing a safe, nurturing and trusting environment where children form close and positive adult and peer relationships. Each child's temperment is unique to themselves. Our teachers promote positive self-confidence and self-esteem. Through various age approprate learning opportunitie children will increase their ability to regulate their emotions and behavior.
Cognitive Development
We recognize the importance of exploring objects and materials. Through everyday experiences and interactions, there are opportunities for children to learn how to solve problems, differientiate between familiar and unfamiliar people, attend to things they find interesting even when distractions are present and understand how their actions effect others. Our teachers will encourage children to participate in activities and experiences to promote executive function. For example, following directions. counting games, building blocks contribute to executive function.
Language Development
At Sunshine at Happy Hearts Learning Center, we understand the importance of language development in young children. Our program provides children with opportunities to develop their language skills through reading, storytelling, and conversation. Receptive and expressive language will be enhanced as teachers talk and explain their actions as well as introduce new words to help them express themselves.
Mathematics
Mathematics is an important part of our program at Sunshine at Happy Hearts Learning Center. We believe that early exposure to math concepts can help children develop problem-solving skills and set the foundation for future academic success. Our program includes activities such as counting, sorting, pattern recognition. measurement, identifying shapes and positions of obbjects to help children develop a strong foundation in mathematics.
Literacy Development
Literacy development includes phonological awareness (sounds in spoken language), alphabet knowledge, print awareness, text comprehension and interest, and emergent writing. Rhymes and chants are important for two year old children. As children get older, rhyming games and songs are important. Teachers will introduce new words throughout the day. Children will be introduced to book awareness and begin to understand that print carries meaning.
Science
Children share many of the characteristics of young scientists They are curious and persistent explorers who use their senses to investigate, observe and make sense of the world around them. Children will begin to ask questions, collect data, generate what they discover. The teachers create learning opportunities for children to learn about physical science, earth and space science and life science.
