GTP utilizes “developmentally appropriate practice” in the classroom. This means applying teaching strategies that match the way children develop and learn. According to NAEYC, developmentally appropriate practice “provides children with opportunities to learn and practice newly acquired skills, and offers challenges just beyond the level of their present mastery”. Instruction begins at the child’s current level of performance and is aimed toward increasing skill development.
All GTP caregivers maintain a positive approach to learning. Instructional strategies are modified so the child can demonstrate and experience success. Each of the thirteen classrooms functions individually, and according to the educational needs and developmental levels of the children.
An array of services comprise the educational component at Growing Together Preschool, Inc. These include developmental screenings, educational ongoing assessments, behavioral observations, short term objectives and long term goals, Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP), and therapeutic evaluations. Implementation of services is based on the individual needs of each child.
Upon enrollment into the program children receive the following screenings:
- The Ages and Stages Questionnaire which is a parent completed questionnaire designed to identify children as early as possible who may need further assessment or support around their development in the areas of; communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving and personal-social skills.
- The Ages and Stages Social-Emotional Questionnaire which is also a parent completed questionnaire designed to identify children as early as possible who may need further assessment or support around their social-emotional development.
- Height and Weight twice a year in September and April.
- Hearing Screening (4 year olds with parent permission)
Children new to the program are screened within 45 calendar days and ALL children are screened in the fall at the beginning of each program year within 45 calendar days.
Children who enter the preschool with a diagnosed disability or a predetermined condition, or who present delays in one or more areas of development, will be eligible for further evaluations and/or therapeutic assessments and additional services. An IEP or IFSP will be implemented, which includes yearly goals and objectives.
Parents will be notified of the evaluation process and included in the planning of their child’s educational program through scheduled meetings twice a year (October and May), at the convenience of all parties involved.