Curriculum

Our Philosophy

The Early Childhood (EC) Program at Schechter celebrates the uniqueness of each child. We respect individual differences in learning styles and growth patterns, and we understand that children thrive socially, emotionally and intellectually when provided with a developmentally appropriate environment. Our nurturing environment teaches responsibility, respect, values and independence. Schechter students grow to see themselves as an integral part of a Jewish community and to understand that Judaism is a way of life.

An Emerging Curriculum Inspired by Reggio Emilia

"The child is rich in potential, strong, powerful, competent and most of all connected to other adults and children.”
- Loris Malaguzzi
(Founder of the Reggio Emilia Approach)

The Early Childhood Program combines a dedication to research-driven practice with the early childhood approach developed in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The popularity of the Reggio Emilia inspiration is rooted in its connection to the science of brain development and reflection of how children best learn. The Reggio approach celebrates experiential learning in relationship-driven environments while incorporating hands-on learning to stimulate thoughtful questions and rich problem solving.

The philosophy of the Reggio Emilia approach complements Schechter’s own, embracing our school’s commitment to Jewish values while prioritizing a differentiated general studies curriculum to create new opportunities and challenges for each student.

Rooted in Jewish Tradition

At Schechter, Jewish learning, identity and values are part of everyday life. We honor our core values of Chochmah—חכמה—Wisdom, Lev Tov—לב טוב—Good Heart  Kehillah—קהילה—Community, Mitzvot—מצוות—Jewish Practice and  K’lal Yisrael—כלל ישראל—Unity of the Jewish People. The Early Childhood Program integrates these values throughout its curriculum via classroom activities, experiences and interactions.

Families are a vital part of the Schechter community and we invite their participation in various school events including: ReLish, Early Childhood Kabbalat Shabbat, holiday celebrations, field trips, school presentations, and various family programs throughout the year.

Guided by the Connecticut Early Learning and Development Standards

Our approach allows us to integrate the Connecticut Early Learning and Development Standards (CT ELDS)  through experiential play based learning and skill development to provide the best instruction for each individual child. The state curriculum identifies goals in eight domains of development:

• Cognition
• Social and Emotional
• Physical
• Language and Literacy
• Creative Arts
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social Studies 

Our Early Childhood Educators:

• Plan developmentally appropriate activities for individual children, classrooms, and programs
• Monitor each child’s development and plan strategies to support learning 
• Partner with families to support children’s development
• Support teachers professional development by identifying areas for additional training and coaching

Connecticut Documentation and Observation for Teaching System (CT DOTS)

Our practice of documentation serves as a tool to measure not only the learning domains and early childhood skills or milestones, but more importantly the approach to learning and skills that allows teachers to develop a robust  curriculum. We are dedicated to supporting children in reaching the highest standards of achievement as a community and as individuals. We also use assessment to guide early intervention opportunities.