Foundations Early Learning Childcare Ministry is a Faith-based Christian Preschool and Childcare program located in Noblesville, Indiana for children ages two to six years old. We offer open-ended learning opportunities for children to learn through meaningful and developmentally appropriate learning experiences. We are Reggio Emilia Approach-Inspired, and follow Emergent Curriculum. Our goal is to prepare ourselves to meet each individual child where they are.
High quality early childhood learning environments are grounded in best practice. Our program targets all developmental domains: Spiritual, Physical, Social & Emotional, Cognitive and Language & Literacy. Developmentally appropriate practice requires meeting children where they are, which means we have to know them well, and then enable them to reach goals that are both challenging and achievable. All practices should be appropriate to their ages and stages of development. Experiences must be fit for a child’s learning and development and challenging enough to promote progress and interest. Development happens in sequences, and occurs at varying rates within each individual. Early experiences have profound effects on a child’s development and learning. Children develop best when they have secure, consistent and responsive relationships.
Spiritual Development:
Foundations Early Learning Childcare Ministry is built upon the faith in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. To promote spiritual development, we teach the word of God throughout our time with the children through hands-on Bible lessons. Since children link words and learning concepts to meaningful learning experiences, we teach the Bible through a hands-on approach and use every opportunity that we’re given to plant seeds of faith during all of our time together. Learning the word of God doesn’t only happen during the time of our specific daily Bible lessons, but continues to happen throughout the entire day through authentically walking out our faith in Jesus and using every possible opportunity we’re given to point them to Christ.
Physical Development:
Learning is transmitted through the large muscles, from the hands to the head, and not the other way around. Large motor muscle development impacts fine motor skills and coordination. It’s important that children are given the time and freedom they need to move in order to develop their large and fine motor muscles. The outside yard is the ideal environment to be developing large motor skills through running, jumping, skipping, catching and throwing balls, and other developmentally appropriate play that promotes large and fine motor muscle development. Sensory and perceptions are all apart of physical development: touching (sensory), tasting, seeing and hearing.
Social and Emotional Development
Social and emotional development is essential for cognitive and academic competence and must be seen as just as important as the other domains because they are all interrelated and it’s not possible to build one domain of development up without impacting the other. Being with others, making friendships, communicating, taking turns, managing emotions and practicing self-regulation are all skills that are developed through organic social interactions.
Cognitive Development
Obtaining a deeper knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, sensory, memory, patterns and more advanced pretend play are all a part of the development of cognition. This happens when singing songs, telling stories, recalling, comprehending and acquiring deeper understanding through meaningful learning experiences.
Language & Literacy Development
Strengthening language, literacy and communication skills comes through discussing, asking and answering questions, offering new words, singing songs, reading stories, playing with others and building friendships. It’s important to provide an abundance of different writing materials and present meaningful learning opportunities that demonstrate uses that extend the growth and development of practical language and literacy skills. Dumping, pouring, shoveling, scooping, squeezing, puzzle solving, Lego and block building, painting and coloring are ways that strengthen the fine-motor muscles used for writing.
