A Day At RCNS ... Our Curriculum

"Education does not mean instruction…Growth is the capacity to relate warmly and lovingly to others, and to nature." -- Ashley Montagu

Free Play:  A day at RCNS always begin with a period of about 1 hour where children are given the opportunity to choose from all the activities in the classroom - water and sand play, dramatic play (dress-up, play kitchen, workbench and loft), arts and crafts (paint, play dough, and other projects), block building, puzzles and other manipulative toys. Special activities such as cooking, planting, and group art projects may occur during this period.

Clean-Up Time:  Children are encouraged to help straighten up the room through positive reinforcement.

Story Time:  At first, stories are read to the entire group. Later, children choose from a selection of books on display in the book corner and parents read to them in small groups. Books are always available to the children.

Circle Time:  Our circle time is less for "information" and more to help the children learn to listen to others and develop the confidence to participate (or not) in a group discussion. Activities such as "show and tell" teach children how to take turns, while song games teach everything from rhyming and the days of the week to how to deal with separation.

Snack Time:  Parents provide nutritious snacks on a rotating basis. Like circle time, snack time gives children a real opportunity to socialize. They gradually learn to serve themselves, pass plates to their friends and even try new foods.

Outside Time:  Our backyard contains age-appropriate playground equipment as well as a sandbox, tree-house and slide, tire swings, a playhouse, and a small nature trail for guided exploration.

The two-year class concentrates on free play and group activities that are centered primarily around snack time and story time. The goal for this group is to provide a secure and nurturing environment where children can begin to separate from their parents and interact with other children. Each child is encouraged to proceed at his or her own pace.

In the three and four-year-old classes, the program is enhanced with frequent field trips and programs in science, nature, music and movement.

What Do Kids Learn at RCNS?