Kangaroos Curriculum (4 - 5 Years)

When developing a curriculum for preschool-aged children, it’s important to focus on a well-rounded approach that promotes cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development. Here’s a general framework for a preschooler childcare curriculum:

• Reading aloud: Storytime with interactive, age-appropriate books (e.g., picture books, rhyming books, and simple narratives).
• Phonemic awareness: Introduce letters and sounds through songs, rhymes, and letter recognition activities.
• Vocabulary building: Use daily conversations to introduce new words, and engage in discussions about stories.
• Writing skills: Activities like tracing, drawing, and early writing (e.g., name writing, simple letters).
• Listening skills: Practice following simple directions and engaging in group discussions.
• Counting: Counting objects, steps, or actions, up to 10 or 20.
• Number recognition: Identifying numbers and matching them to quantities.
• Shapes and patterns: Recognizing and naming shapes (circle, square, triangle) and identifying patterns.
• Comparisons: Understanding concepts like more/less, big/small, and tall/short.
• Measurement: Simple activities involving measuring (e.g., pouring, filling, comparing sizes).
• Self-regulation: Activities that promote managing emotions, such as breathing exercises, sharing, and conflict resolution.
• Empathy: Encouraging children to recognize and express emotions and understand others’ feelings.
• Cooperation: Group play, turn-taking, and collaborative projects (like building something together).
• Independence: Encouraging self-help skills, like dressing, cleaning up, and basic decision-making.
• Gross motor skills: Activities like running, jumping, climbing, and dancing to develop coordination and balance.
• Fine motor skills: Tasks like drawing, cutting with scissors, stringing beads, and building with blocks to strengthen hand-eye coordination.
• Health education: Basic lessons on hygiene (washing hands, brushing teeth), healthy eating, and exercise.
• Art: Activities that allow for exploration of colors, textures, and shapes (e.g., finger painting, coloring, playdough).
• Music: Singing songs, playing simple instruments, and learning rhythm through clapping or tapping.
• Drama: Role-playing and pretend play to build creativity and emotional expression.
• Nature exploration: Exploring plants, animals, and seasons through outdoor activities and observation.
• Simple experiments: Activities like mixing colors, watching how water moves, or observing plant growth.
• Sensory play: Activities that engage the senses, such as playing with sand, water, or textured materials.
• Diversity: Introduce children to different cultures, traditions, and family structures through books, songs, and celebrations.
• Celebrations: Learn about holidays and festivals from around the world to foster appreciation for differences.
• Simple puzzles: Activities that promote logical thinking, such as jigsaw puzzles and matching games.
• Cause and effect: Activities like building with blocks or dropping objects to see what happens.
• Storytelling: Encourage children to create their own stories, enhancing creativity and problem-solving skills.
• Morning Circle Time: Discuss the day’s schedule, the weather, and what’s coming up.
• Free play and structured activities: Balance between guided activities and free play to encourage independence and creativity.
• Snack and rest time: Ensuring there’s a balance of nourishment, rest, and time to relax.
• Morning (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM): Morning circle time (greeting, weather, day of the week)
  Literacy activity (storytime, letter recognition)
  Snack time
  Outdoor play or gross motor activities (running, jumping, climbing)
  Art or sensory play (painting, playdough, water play)
  
• Afternoon (12:00 PM - 3:00 PM):12:00-12:30: Lunch
  Science exploration (nature walk, simple experiments)
  Group activity (games, puzzles, building)
  (child-led activities)