Our Curriculum

We base our teaching curriculum on the premise that children learn while they are playing, or “academics through play.” Play is essential to learning, especially during the early years as children “learn how to learn.”  As children indulge their natural inclinations to explore, investigate, and experiment through developmentally appropriate play, they acquire the fundamental knowledge they need for their future.

Stepping Stones Preschool curriculum is centered on the Arizona State Early Learning Standards for early childhood education and emphasizes active participatory learning. Active learning means students have direct, hands-on experiences with people, objects, events, and ideas. Children’s interests and choices are at the heart of Stepping Stones Preschool’s approach to education. We give children the foundation upon which lifelong learning is built.

For more information about our policies and procedures please refer to our parent handbook.

Child painting on an easel outdoors
Two children playing on a playground structure with steering wheels, one wearing a yellow dress and the other in a gray shirt.
Four young children sitting together on a wooden playground slide, smiling and enjoying their time outdoors on a sunny day.
Children sitting around a table mixing ingredients in a red bowl in a classroom setting.
Children playing with pumpkins and a toy cash register outdoors.
A group of young children and an adult sitting on the floor in a classroom, engaged in a learning activity involving paper circles laid out on the carpet. The children are gathered in a semi-circle, attentively participating.
A child playing with toy dinosaurs lined up on the carpet in a classroom setting, with shelves of educational toys and storage boxes in the background.
Preschool children engaging in an educational activity using apple-themed worksheets and red pom-poms. A boy and a girl are seated at a table, focusing on placing the pom-poms onto the worksheet. The activity is designed to teach counting or number r
Child climbing colorful poles on a playground structure outdoors.
Children playing on a merry-go-round at a playground.
A group of children and an adult gathered around a garden bed with various plants, learning about gardening.
Two children wearing bunny ear headbands sit at a table with toy cash registers, engaged in imaginative play.
Child playing with toy fish and tools in a water play table outdoors.
Four young children sitting at a table playing with colorful balls and objects on trays. The children are engaged in a playful activity in a classroom setting.
A teacher leading a group of young children in an activity in a classroom setting. The kids are standing and appear to be engaged, with colorful classroom decor in the background and tables and chairs nearby.
Children and a teacher sitting around a table eating snacks in a classroom setting.
A teacher sits on a chair in a classroom, leading a group of young children sitting on the floor in a circle. The classroom has shelves with educational materials and a board with pictures. The teacher points to a chart, engaging the children in a le
Children in a classroom sitting at tables with colorful chairs, engaged in an apple-cutting activity. A young child is focused on cutting apples with a safe plastic knife, while other children work in the background. Various items are visible, includ
Children and an adult engaged in a crafting activity at a classroom table surrounded by blue chairs with a basket of building blocks on the table.
Two young girls crafting with beads at a classroom table.
Children playing in a toy kitchen with aprons on, engaging in pretend cooking activities.
Two children painting on a wall using blue and purple paint with a roller brush, standing on a drop cloth.
Children sitting on a classroom floor working on a jigsaw puzzle together, surrounded by books and a puzzle box.
Children playing outside with large cardboard boxes, stacking and arranging them under a canopy. The boxes are varying sizes and are Amazon-branded. The setting has a brick wall and some play chairs.
Children playing with modeling clay at a classroom table with various sculpting tools and a green bin of supplies.
A teacher with short hair, wearing an orange shirt, sits on the floor interacting with a child standing nearby, who is holding some objects. Another child is seated with a small bucket of items next to them. The setting appears to be a classroom or d
Three children engaging in arts and crafts at a table, using supplies like cotton balls, glue, and colored paper. A decorated wall with photos and a tree diagram is in the background.

We Are Learning…

  • Social and Emotional Development

    Assessing and helping children grow in their knowledge of self, their understanding of responsibility, social interactions with others, developing a child’s confidence, problem-solving abilities, creativity, persistence, initiative, and curiosity.

  • Fine Arts

    Dramatic play, music, creative movement, and creative visual arts using a wide variety of materials, media, tools, techniques, and processes to explore and create.

  • Language and Literacy

    Oral language development, pre-reading development of print awareness, vocabulary development, letter knowledge, phonological awareness, and book handling skills.

  • Mathematics

    Awareness and instruction are represented in patterns, data analysis, number sense and operations, logic, measurement, spatial relationships, and geometry.

  • Science

    Inquiry is encouraged through observations, questions, hypotheses, and analysis. Exploration of the outside environment include recycling and life cycles of plants and animals. Our classroom gardens are one of many hands on activities that are built into the core of our curriculum.

  • Social Studies

    This includes discussions on family identity, diversity, government, money, community, environment, and time. This also includes how to respect others and be good citizens.

  • Health

    Helping children understand good personal hygiene, nutrition, importance of physical activity, safe play, and taking care of personal needs. Some of our kids’ favorite activities are when we taste test different foods and bake in class!

  • Gross and Fine Motor Skills

    Gross motor development includes body and spatial awareness, balance, and controlled movements. Fine motor development focuses on eye-hand coordination, hand and finger strength, and manipulation of small objects and tools like pencils, markers, and scissors.

 Our Daily Routine

 

  • Greeting time provides a smooth transition from home to school and gives children and adults a chance to share important information for the day.

  • Children learn to plan and problem solve by choosing from a few daily teacher-planned activities to do during work time.

  • Children carry out their initial and subsequent planned activities. This also is an opportunity for children to explore in any of the interest areas teachers have set up in the classroom.

    Teachers and aides seek opportunities to enter into children’s activities to encourage their thinking, extend their play, and help them develop problem-solving skills.

  • The class actively participates in returning materials and equipment to their storage spaces and, when appropriate, puts away or finds a display space for their personal creations.

  • Recall brings closure to the planning & work time activities. Children reflect on, talk about, and/or show what they have done in the day reinforcing the lessons from that day.

  • The school provides AM and PM snacks.

    Children and adults share a nutritious snack and interesting conversation.

  • Children and adults get together to play games, tell and reenact stories, sing songs, do fingerplays, dance, play musical instruments, or discuss recent special events. This time is an opportunity for each child to participate in a large group, sharing ideas and learning from others’ opinions.

  • Each adult meets with a small group of children to work with materials planned and introduced by the adult. Although the adult chooses and introduces the materials, each child controls what they can do with these materials.

  • Children spend time outside with adults as they strengthen their extensive motor skills, explore nature, and develop social skills during outside time.