Programs

THE PRESCHOOL PROGRAM

EARLY LEARNING AND CHILD CARE CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

We at Riverview Ashland Child Care Centre Inc. realize that play is important in the development of the whole child, socially, cognitively, physically and emotionally.  We implement a program that allows for diversity and inclusion by working at making children aware of each other's emotions and personalities through labeling and discussions.  We expose children to similarities and differences in people and cultures through deliberate selection of books that depict life throughout the world.  Fieldtrips to the surrounding neighborhood as well as throughout the city allow us to connect with the people around us.  Shared playground facilities enable us to interact with a variety of people and families from our neighborhood.

Our program requires that we get to know the children as individuals.  We welcome our daycare families to enjoy the environment together at the beginning and end of each day at which time we shar infomation with parents about their child's learning and development.  We observe and document play, and consolidate this information into personal journals for each child.  We support the opportunity for conversations at lunch and snack times as well as during group times.  By discovering the children's interests and ideas, we obtain the information to build our environment, develop activities and increase the children's knowledge of their world.  Weekly, ECE's discuss and evaluate the materials and curriculum and implement changes based on our observations of the children interacting within the environment.

We maintain a warm and homelike environment through the use of fabric, plants, lighting and thoughtful arrangement of materials.  When the children's focus moves from the available materials, we assess their new interests and change the environmnet to reflect them.  We keep our environment organized by rotating toys, supervising clean up and having picutre guides on the shelves.  This allows the children to focus on the experience obtained through the materials provided without unnecessary distractions.

Provocation through books and discussions that both influence and reflect current interests are used to promote learning and development.  We encourage the children to be curious about the people and the world around them: and, we help satisfy their curiosity.  By expanding on acquired information, ideas for hands on activities are developed.  These activities include both teacher directed and self-motivated exploration of dramatic experiences along with visual and tactile materials to allow advancement of development in all areas of growth.  They are planned to broaden experiences and are used to promote creativity and provide enhanced play areas.  Activities are optional and are offered during times when free play centers are also available.  By offering this, the children are able to choose what is developmentally appropriate for them.

It is our privilege and pleasure to provide a happy and stimulating educational experience for all children.

THE SCHOOL AGE PROGRAM

Our School Age Program offers a bustling, vibrant diverse variety of activities and events in a cozy homelike environment which celebrates the unique quality of our close knit community.  The children at the Centre, with the help of a dynamic team of Early Childhood Educators and Child Care Assistants, meet in small groups to brainstorm ideas which are used as our basis for planning a program filled with opportunities for these school age "adventurers".

A constant daily choice of these child initiated ideas allow the ECE's and CCA's to map a direction which will provide all of the children with after school "clubs" which acknowledge their wide ranging interests and reinforce the value of their own ideas and suggestions.  We try to offer choices to these six to twelve year old children, recognizing that they have been involved in the school system all day and need to make their own decisions about how they occupy their time at this point of the day. 

This "freedom", combined with "milestone" traditional events throughout the year, such as our Gingerbread House construction, Fort Building and so on, give the children a deep sense of belonging and connection to each other, their family, their community, their school and others.  What a pleasure to watch these children grow into loving, caring, involved young men and women who have so much to contribute to the future of our ever changing world.