Cherry Blossom Day Care Center
Preschool in Arlington, VA 22201
Our program goals are tied directly to our own particular philosophy. Differences in philosophies create differences in program goals. A goal is a statement with a long term view of expected outcomes. By definition; goals should be broad in nature and represent something that will be continuous and ongoing over a long period of time. Our program goals provide the WHAT and WHY of our curriculum planning. There will be many real differences in goals, curricula and values related to different philosophies. However, there are many common goals about where there is very little argument.
Goals are connected to the developmental tasks of the child. What is a developmental task? Developmental tasks are those tasks which are common to most children at a particular are in sequence. Those tasks must be mastered by the child before proceeding into the next set of developmental tasks: toilet training, walking, going up and down steps, language use. We divide those tasks into areas:
*Cognitive or mental *Social *Emotional *Physical *CreativeThe goals that we establish guide the daily schedule, the activities and the sequences of skill development. Knowing the goals helps our potential staff members to know whether or not she/he can be a contributing, positive influence on the children in her/his care.
- To grow in independence: To help children learn to do things for themselves and to make decisions and choices.
- To learn to give, share and give affetion: We call that trust or bonding, and calls for consistent and respectful caregivers.
- To learn to get along with others: A child learns what works in groups, what taking turns means, what thinking about other means.
- To develop self-control and self discipline: Recent researches show a strong relationship between positive outcomes as adolescents and adults and the experience of making choices in the early childhood years.
- To learn non-sexist human roles: Avoiding gender stereotypes is an important aspect of self-esteem. To learn non-sexist human values means we help boys and girls to be competent in both kitchen and the car.
- To begin to understand their bodies: Good health practices, hygiene and nutrition are a basic aspect of the preschool-experience.
- To learn and practice large and small motor skills: It’s the best time to start those lifelong good habits and joys!.
- To begin to understand and control the physical world: We want children to be responsive to the world around them, to have an understanding of cause/effect, to be able to reason, to be curious, to find and find information.
- To Foster the development of language, both listening and speaking: The Children who have lots of perceptual and sensing experiences and good adult language partners develop a richer vocabulary, more expressive language, and a greater skill in communication.
- To develop a positive feeling about thier relationship to the the world: To be having a fine time, to be feeling good about themselves and their experiences, and to be involved in the age-appropriate, fulfilling daily happenings.
- Child Ages:
- 3 months - 5 years
- Licenses & Accreditations:
- Virginia Department of Social Services
- Preschool:
- Yes
- Hours of Operation:
- 7am - 6pm
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Cherry Blossom Daycare Center’s philosophy includes the underlying values, general beliefs, concepts and attitude which direct our program. It also includes our day-to-day responses to the problems and the interactions between adult and children.
Our philosophy is the centering point of our program. The Center provides to the parents and staff, clearly communicating the thrust and focus of our program.
Philosophy # 1 The Center provides to children in their early years a foundation for growth and development for the rest of the life. As the children grow, they go through an orderly series of developmental stages that are basically the same for all children. But the rate at which children progress these stages can vary dramatically from one child to another. Therefore, the Center is based on the philosophy that each child is an individual who develops at his/her own rate. In order to help our children develop to their fullest potential, we create an environment that encourages a child’s curiosity about the world. The environment is to provide opportunities to think creatively to make decisions and choices within appropriate limits. Above all, a child should be in an environment where love and respect are shown for each child as an individual, and where all children learn to love and respect themselves and one another.
Philosophy # 2 Early childhood is the most critical period in human growth and development, because it is the period when the foundation for learning is laid. During these early years, learning experiences for children must be diverse, creative, and carefully planned based on sound principles of child development. In keeping with this philosophy, the Center provides an environment where children can:
1- Grow and develop at their own rate. No two children develop in the same way, at the same time, or in the same sequence, therefore, the Center ensures that the teachers must understand their individual developmental needs and provide challenging and supportive experiences.
2- Develop a positive self-image. The Centers’ program is designed to create positive self-image in the children that enables a child to participate easily and successfully in a learning environment and provides a framework for personal development that continues throughout the child’s lifetime.
3- Learn to handle their emotions in an appropriate way. Young children have strong feelings which often confuse them and are often beyond their control. Children are provided help in how they handle their emotions in appropriate ways.
4- Act on their environment. The Center program is designed to motivate children to explore, question, practice and pretend in order to discover the world around them. The philosophy of the Center is that: Play is the work of childhood. The learning process is life long, and it begins best when children can choose variety of activities that challenge and interest them within a safe environment.
5- Develop a sense of personal responsibility. The Center provides opportunity to the children to make choices and solve problems, so, they grow in knowledge of how the world operates and how they can function in it. Within a secure environment, children learn that their actions and behaviors have consequences for themselves and those around them.
6- Learn to trust and care about those around them. The Center’s philosophy is to provide the children loving attention. They are given caring teachers who are consistent in how they react to child’s behavior. Through these relationships, children develop the ability to give and receive affection and understanding, while learning to trust themselves and those around them.
Philosophy # 3 The human and physical environment of this center is such that the child is encouraged to make discoveries of relationship among objects and people by experiencing (those relationships first hand, Let’s Find Out, will be the guiding principle). The learning environment is structured in such a way as to strengthen the child’s reasoning processes. Many sensory experiences which will add to his direct knowledge of the world will be provided. We believe that all the components of our program, staff, director, children, and parents must be valued and supported.
