OUR BETHESDA PRESCHOOL
Preschool Curriculum
Bethesda Reggio utilizes a project-based “emergent curriculum,” predicated on the ever-changing interests, ideas, and questions of children. Our provocations are often inspired by children themselves giving ample opportunity for discussion, decision-making, collaboration, and evaluation. Projects can last days or weeks depending on where it leads us. Our teachers use these projects to deliver rich educational experiences using literacy, music, art, dramatic play, motor development, math, nature, and science. Our methodology is underpinned by our understanding of the cognitive and academic standards needed to succeed in a 21st century kindergarten.
We also supplement our lessons with The Creative Curriculum®, a Reggio-inspired planning tool developed by Bethesda’s own Learning Strategies, Inc., headquartered only 3 blocks from our Bethesda preschool classrooms. They provide inquiry based investigative studies that we weave into our lesson planning as we prepare your child for kindergarten. For further information, visit: https://teachingstrategies.com/company/about/.
Classroom Environments
We have two locations (Newdale Cottage and Lynnbrook Center) with classrooms for three-year-old children separated by age and development. Children transitioning from our 2-year-old classes will continue at Newdale Cottage until 4 years old when they move to our KinderPrep program at Lynnbrook Center. We also have a separate classroom at Lynnbrook for older 3-year-old children.
Preparation for Kindergarten
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Our 3-year-old classes begin the formal process of tracking your child’s readiness for kindergarten using standards established by Maryland’s Readiness for Kindergarten program. These standards provide teachers and parents a common template for measuring success and identifying areas for future improvement. For further information, visit: https://earlychildhood.marylandpublicschools.org/prek-grade-2/maryland-early-learning-framework/ready-4-kindergarten.
Documentation and Communication
Our piazza entrance at Lynnbrook Prep and Newdale Cottage classrooms feature amazing documentation of the projects children do together. Individual work is also documented using journals, project boards, weekly photo arrays with comments from children in their own unique words. This manner of documentation flows from our Respect for Children and intentionality of valuing the work children do.