Center in Takoma Park, MD 20912
Our mission is to provide a quality children’s early childhood care and an education program that supports family success in our diverse community. We promote creativity, excitement and respect for ALL. Montgomery College Early Learning Centers embrace honesty, trust, respect, communication, life-long learning and fun in a safe, healthy and loving environment.
Young children learn and develop through play and interactions with people and their environment. Our centers provide:
Learning relationships that are supportive, trustful and nurturing. Safe and educationally stimulating environments. Play opportunities that are developmentally appropriate and fun. Small and large group instruction to support development of math and literacy foundational skills.All classrooms are based on our belief in multi-age grouping. Children may be placed in groups of children ranging from ages 2 to 5 years of age. Children develop cognitively at different paces. By providing a mixed age setting, children develop pro-social behaviors such as giving, sharing, helping and turn taking. A community-like atmosphere is created which is a positive role model for all.
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Young children are learning all the time! At Montgomery College Early Learning Centers, each experience in the life of a child is seen as “curriculum” or an opportunity to learn new concepts and to gain new skills and ideas. Daily experiences are tailored for each individual child to reach optimal development and success. Through play, active participation and decision-making, young children may:
Enhance their self-concept. Increase their awareness of the world around them. Build skills for positive and healthy interactions with peers and adults. Gain foundational skills in literacy and mathematics needed to be successful in school. Learn to care for and respect materials and property.Developmentally appropriate activities are designed to meet childrens physical, social, cognitive and emotional needs. Physical development highlights good health and hygiene practices and appropriate nutrition; activities that enhance each childs body coordination of large muscles through running, jumping, climbing, dancing, bike riding, ball playing, etc.; fine motor skills develop eye-hand coordination through such activities as block building, lacing, connecting and disconnecting interlocking blocks, and handling crayons, markers, scissors, and bean bags.
Social development highlights working and playing together through small and large group activities, as well as the creation of friendships through effective dialogue and interactions, negotiation and problem solving, appropriate turn- taking, role playing, and involvement in community life.
Cognitive (or intellectual) development highlights language and literacy activities, reading readiness, recalling events, processing information and following directions. Cognitive development also includes math readiness, sorting and classifying, comparing and counting; science, sensory and carpentry activities include using ones five senses to understand, explore and investigate the environment, hypothesize and draw conclusions.
Emotional development highlights interactions with staff and children that build self-confidence and self-concept. It includes the ability to identify and express ones needs appropriately and assist others, self-reliance and trust in oneself and others; includes the ability to venture to try new experiences, separation, transition, flexibility and adaptability to daily routines and schedule adjustments; incorporates freedom of expression through dance, music and movement, creative art and dramatic play.
Written curriculum resources are Building Language Literacy (Scholastic), and Growing with Mathematics (MacMillan) A daily schedule and lesson plan is posted in the classroom. Schedule and lesson plans are subject to change. Throughout the day, teachable moments occur that are not planned. When planning, teachers use curriculum as a guideline and take note of childrens interests to support learning in all developmental areas.
Center-Based Child Care