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Hamilton-White Development Center Information |
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Child Groups |
License |
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Infants |
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Hamilton-White Child Development Center is licensed by the Mississippi State Department of Health.
Periodic inspections are made by the Health Department to insure compliance with all health regulations and standards. An operator's license is posted in the hallway at Bailey in compliance with guidelines from the licensing agency. A second license is posted in Ewing in the hallway next to the office of the Director. |
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Philosophy |
Toddlers |
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The Hamilton-White Child Development Center believes:
- All children are special & unique & come to us with a wide range of experiences, abilities, interests & needs
- All children develop best & are more receptive to learning experiences in a comfortable, safe, secure, & supportive environment
- All children develop in 4 developmental areas: physical, intellectual or cognitive, social, & emotional
- Parents & center personnel have the responsibility to help the child become independent, self-controlled, confident & self-motivated to be prepared for formal education
- Children learn rapidly when the environment provides an abundance of language opportunities
- Regular communication between parents & staff is important for consistency with home experiences, & for staff to effectively understand & respond appropriately to a child's behavior
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| 2 Year Old |
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| 3 Year Old |
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Curriculum |
4 Year Old
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A theme approach is used as an avenue for implementing the curriculum. Teachers use a child-centered approach as outlined in the Creative Curriculum.
5 Components of the Creative Curriculum:
- Child Development & Learning
A child's level of social/emotional, physical, cognitive & language development
Characteristics & experiences that make each child unique
- Learning Environment
Structure of the classroom that makes it possible for teachers to teach & children to learn
- What Children Learn
How children acquire & learn skills through daily experiences
- Teacher’s Role
Careful observations of children lead to a variety of instructional strategies to guide children’s learning
- Family’s Role
Benefits of developing a partnership with every family and working together to support children’s development and learning
Along with the Creative Curriculum, we use Mississippi Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum in the 3-4 year-old classrooms.
The goals for this curriculum are to help children:
- Develop a positive self-concept
- Achieve intellectual growth
- Enlarge his/her world of people, experiences, ideas & things
- Increase competence & skills in reading, writing, listening, thinking, & speaking
- Increase the skills involved in physical coordination
- Increase competence in dealing with emotional feelings & social situations
- Increase competence in self-direction & independence.
- Develop cooperative, trusting relationships
- Develop his/her natural curiosity & creative potential
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Learning Centers |
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Each classroom (except the infant classroom) is set up with learning centers. Learning centers provide the students with opportunities for participation and social development as they explore each center together. Children are encouraged to visit each area daily.
- Art Center
Provides opportunities for students to work with different media such as, paper, paint, markers, crayon, glue, scissors, pencils, etc. The process of working with the materials is what’s important, not the finished product. Teacher-directed and student –directed art activities are done daily. Art supplies are readily available each day for children to explore.
- Manipulative Center
Includes games, table toys, puzzles, etc. This helps to improve fine motor skills. Controlled movements of the fingers and hands help children to strengthen the muscles necessary for writing.
- Homeliving/Dramatic Center
Allows children to role-play and explore through imagination. Helps children build vocabulary, as well as social skills needed for life.
- Literacy Center
This early exposure to books will help with pre-reading, vocabulary, and language skills.
- Block Center
This area helps children develop and control small muscles and fingers and hands. Children can learn to think, plan and solve problems.
- Science Center
Provides opportunities for cause and effect learning. Students can make observations, predictions, and try out possible causes. This area includes class pets, plants, sand/water and science manipulatives.
- Computer Center
Provides opportunities to become independent, as well as help to improve a variety of developmental skills.
With the Director's guidance, teachers use their knowledge of developmental levels to plan developmentally appropriate experiences to meet the interests and needs of the children. Not all children will be on the same developmental level. We accept each child where he is and build from that point. Lesson plans will be posted in each classroom. |
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