Overview of our Early Childhood Development Programs
6 weeks old - 12 years old
The first five years of life involves tremendous amounts of physical, cognitive, social and emotional developmental.
This requires children to have strong and positive attachments to their close caregivers. It is an honor when families choose Good Shepherd Learning Center to be one of those close caregivers for their child.
90% of brain development occurs in the first 5 years. For this reason we have put relationships at the core of our teaching.
We interact, love, observe, document, screen, assess, guide and encourage progress.
Teachers complete a screening questionnaire called Ages & Stages for each child to look for developmental delays within their first 45 days of care and/or anytime a concern is observed.
Click the ASQ Logo to learn more about this screening tool.
Teachers complete assessments with Teaching Strategies Gold that is based on observations of development. Reports are created three times a year to track their development. We discuss results at conferences that are offered twice a year and as needed in between.
Click the Teaching Strategies Logo for more information about Teaching Strategies assessment tool.
Our lesson plans are built upon the children's assessments in Teaching Strategies. This is the reason we use The Creative Curriculum through Teaching Strategies. It is a "whole-child" curriculum.
Brightwheel Software is where we pull it all together! We communicate with families through daily feeds of their child's diaper changes, how much or how little they ate, how long the slept, observations with pictures that are tied to milestones. Families and teachers are able to chat through the messaging features which helps our families stay connected even while at work.
Families can also view the calendar, lesson plans, and pay their bill right on Brightwheel!
"It takes a village to raise a child"
Infant Room
6 weeks old - 14 months old
The first year is the year of the most exciting unknowns! This is the year parents may discover possible developmental delays and allergies.
It is also the year they will see their infant grow into a toddler.
They will learn to roll, crawl, pull up, stand and walk!
They will start with bottles and being rocked to holding their own bottles to switching to a sippy cup and picking up foods to feed themselves at a table.
They will start with crying to communicate then to showing to you with sign language and then possibly some basic sounds to represent their needs.
Every milestone, no matter when achieved, will be celebrated!
Click Here to Read About
The Stagg Family Experience
Click Here to Read About
Rebekah's Experience
Toddler 1 Room
12 months - 24 months old
The second year of life is all about exploring for both child and parents. Exploring develops preferences. Parents and caregivers have to be paying attention to each child's exploring patterns to learn their likes and dislikes. With this information parents and caregivers can better set up the environment at home and school to scaffold their learning.
It is the year that you discover baby gates, locks and outlet covers! You want to be sure that they are safe while they are exploring.
They will go from walking to falling to walking again to a possible run to yet another fall. It is all a part of learning to find their balance. Make sure to be stocked on band aids!
They will begin using spoons, forks, and possibly an open cup?! The messes that will be created is all a part of them learning spatial awareness. Be prepared with wipes, rags, and extra clothing everywhere you go!
The will continue to make noises to communicate along with crying when frustrated. They will begin to blend their sounds to make words and communicate with 1 to 2 words at a time. Keep having those conversations with them. They are important for their vocabulary to develop.
Every milestone, no matter when achieved, will be celebrated!
Toddler 2 Room
24 months - 3 years old
The third year of life is all about parents and caregivers setting boundaries and the toddler to test those boundaries to learn expectations. The secret to children following boundaries is let them be in control... Provide them with options that result in the same desired outcome.
2+3=5 so does 4+1=5. Shirt than pants = dressed - so is - pants than shirt = dressed.
Our goal is to teach the expectation. How the child gets there is can be up to them.
This is called autonomy where a child tries to express themselves and their independence. It happens twice during development; now during the toddler years and again during adolescence.
This is the year the potty is introduced! Every child grasps this concept at different times and when they are ready. This is purely a child led milestone that parents and caregivers can only encourage and provide support for until it clicks for them.
Last year you discovered baby gates, locks and outlet covers. Your child has since figured them out and you most likely have moved furniture to block hazards. Your house is upside down. It wont be this way forever. Just hold tight and embrace the learning.
They are now running, to see how far that boundary can be pushed... Can they make their parents and caregivers run after them?? Yep! They also like to hide and have you look for them. Not just at home but at the store, the bank, parking lot, everywhere! The fun has begun!
They will keep working on using spoons, forks, and open cups. The messes will continue, it is still all a part of them learning spatial awareness. Be prepared with wipes, rags, and extra clothing everywhere you go! Do not worry to much, their eating habits start to improve moving forward!
Their vocabulary usually takes off during this stage and they repeat EVERYTHING they hear. May not always be clear but keep encouraging the proper pronunciation. We know that some of the words sound adorable pronounced incorrectly but for development it is important to encourage the proper way.
Every milestone, no matter when achieved, will be celebrated!
Preschool Room
3 years old - 4 years old
The fourth year of life is all about parents and caregivers continuing to set boundaries and the preschoolers to continue to test those boundaries to learn expectations. The secret to children following boundaries is let them be in control... Provide them with options that result in the same desired outcome.
2+3=5 so does 4+1=5. Shirt than pants = dressed - so is - pants than shirt = dressed.
Our goal is to teach the expectation. How the child gets there is can be up to them.
This is called autonomy where a child tries to express themselves and their independence. It happens twice during development; now during the toddler/preschool years and again during adolescence.
This year is all about learning social skills that appropriate with adults and their peers. How to solve social conflicts during play. How to label then regulate their emotions. Recognize that other people also have emotions. Sometimes you cause others to feel a certain way.
Last year your house was upside down. This year you may have started to move your furniture back to its place. Maybe you took a baby gate or two down. Your child can most likely go up and down stairs either by walking or crawling. They understand that there are things that they are not to touch and have learned to leave alone.
They are now running, skipping, hopping and jumping. They are challenging their skills by climbing and testing their own limits now that they understand our expectations. They are able to go back to exploring the world safely.
They make smaller messes during meal times as they now know how to sit correctly at a table, use utensils and wipe their hands and faces. They now try to open their meals and clean up their meals after themselves.
Their vocabulary continues to grow! They also begin to learn upper and lower case letters, their names, numbers, shapes and colors.
Every milestone, no matter when achieved, will be celebrated!
Pre-Kindergarten Room
4 years old - 5 years old
The fifth year of life is all about parents and caregivers continuing to set boundaries and the pre-kindergarten children continue to test those boundaries to learn expectations. The secret to children following boundaries is let them be in control... Provide them with options that result in the same desired outcome.
2+3=5 so does 4+1=5. Shirt than pants = dressed - so is - pants than shirt = dressed.
Our goal is to teach the expectation. How the child gets there is can be up to them.
This is called autonomy where a child tries to express themselves and their independence. It happens twice during development; now during the toddler/preschool years and again during adolescence.
This year it is all about building on the social skills that are appropriate with adults and their peers that they started to learn last year. How to solve social conflicts during play. How to label then regulate their emotions. Recognize that other people also have emotions. Sometimes you cause others to feel a certain way.
Your house maybe coming back together. They now have a big kid bed, chair at the table (maybe with a booster seat), toys start to have a home that the child has started to put them away at when they are done.
They are now running, skipping, hopping and jumping. They are challenging their skills by climbing and testing their own limits now that they understand our expectations.
They make smaller messes during meal times as they now know how to sit correctly at a table, use utensils and wipe their hands and faces. They now try to open their meals and clean up their meals after themselves.
Their vocabulary continues to grow! They also begin to learn upper and lower case letters, site words, their names, numbers, shapes and colors and so much more!!
Every milestone, no matter when achieved, will be celebrated!
School Age Room
Kindergarten - 12 years old
They did it! They developed 90% of their brain. Early Childhood Development is now complete. What now? Elementary Education. This is where the children begin their academic journey. They have the foundation they need in order to engage in higher thinking and learn new concepts as they build upon the old.
We are still here to help! We offer before and after care, school closures, early dismissals, and delayed openings during the school year. We offer homework assistance, crafts, and afternoon snack.
We also offer a full summer camp! Includes field trips, visitors, community out reach projects, STEAM lessons and intergenerational relationships with the residents at the Keystone Villa.
Every milestone, no matter when achieved, will be celebrated!
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