CURRICULUM

Barnyard Academy adheres to a holistic approach to early childhood education. When we expose children to different environments and various learning experiences, we allow them to explore their self-awareness and gain a sense of the world around them. Once they leave our preschool, they are fully prepared for the next stage of their young lives.

Barnyard Academy utilizes the HighScope Preschool Curriculum as the framework for our program. HighScope's approach to learning is focused on allowing children to make choices. Students help create learning activities, carry out a plan of action and upon completion reflect, share and discuss their work-time experiences. ​

HighScope organizes learning into eight primary content areas: Approaches to Learning; Social and Emotional Development; Physical Development and Health; Language, Literacy and Communication;  Mathematics; Creative Arts; Science and Technology; and Social Studies. Key Development Indicators being the building blocks of early thinking and reasoning.

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Key Development Indicators, also referred to as KDIs, are used to guide a child's acquisition and understanding of early curriculum content important for school and life readiness. HighScope identifies 6 Key Development Indicators in their approach to learning:

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1. Initiative: Children demonstrate initiative as they explore their world.

2. Planning: Children make plans and follow through on their intentions.

3. Engagement: Children focus on activities that interest them.

4. Problem Solving: Children solve problems encountered in play.

5. Use of Resources: Children gather information and formulate ideas about their world.

6. Reflection: Children reflect on their experiences.

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Through active learning children at Barnyard Academy gain a sense of independence and autonomy. Daily routines that include small and large group time encourage teamwork, critical thinking and problem solving skills. And an organized learning environment, with easily navigated learning centers, creates a sense of order.

What makes Barnyard Academy truly unique though, is our setting. When you combine all of these teaching principles with a focus on the natural world, the learning opportunities are simply infinite. There is no better way to learn numbers than to walk outside and count Zinnias in the garden. Or to learn about the life cycle, by witnessing the birth of a chick as it makes that final push out of its shell.

Nature-based early childhood education is learning that occurs in the context of nature. Simply put, nature-based preschools spend at least 30% of class time outside and nature is infused into nearly every aspect of our program. We emphasize learning through play and hands-on discovery and curriculum content is emergent, based on children’s interests.

A focus on frequent outside time, weather permitting, and an integration of the outdoors into our indoor classroom space is what defines a nature school. We implement high-quality teaching practices with a focus on the natural world and seasonal happenings. In other words, nature and the outdoors permeate virtually all facets of our curriculum.