Preschool Curriculum at Kiddi Kollege

A typical preschool curriculum is designed to provide young children with a well-rounded educational experience that fosters their cognitive, social-emotional, linguistic, and physical development. The specific content and approach varies depending on the preschool program, but this blog will dive into what we do here at Kiddi Kollege in Johnson County, Kansas.

Our Preschool Programs Are Accredited Through Cognia

At Kiddi Kollege, we’re exceptionally proud to be accredited through Cognia. As stated on their website, “Cognia Accreditation and Certification are like no others. Our research-based performance standards give your teams a shared framework to achieve measurable, meaningful improvement. No other accrediting agency gives you actionable data from professional evaluators who are experienced educators—or continues to guide you to leverage your strengths for improvement.”

Through guidance from Cognia, our preschool educators foster a culture of learning where our students’ needs are met, both academic and non-academic, on a daily basis.

For us, accreditation is much more than just a badge of honor; it’s not about passing an inspection one time and moving on. Through ongoing support from Cognia’s experts, our Kiddi Kollege teachers and staff are able to frequently reflect on teaching practices and make changes as needed. This professional guidance empowers us to meet improvement goals and sustain commitments to advance learner outcomes.

Frog Street and Bear Boulevard: Our Preschool Curriculum

At each of our eight Kiddi Kollege schools in the southern KC Metro, we believe in providing a nurturing and enriching environment for our students’ young minds to flourish.

Our preschool programs follow a nationally recognized, researched-based curriculum called Frog Street. Additionally, we incorporate our own Bear Boulevard Curriculum, which combines over 65 years of on-site lesson planning with the industry’s leading early childhood education research. Both are designed to lay a strong foundation for your child’s academic and social development.

Let’s take a closer look at our preschool curriculum and the various activities we offer to ensure your child’s holistic growth and readiness for the future.

Frog Street Preschool Program Cornerstones

The Frog Street Threes preschool program is built around three cornerstones to provide instruction that optimizes learning and development for three-year-olds: Early Brain Development Research, Intentionality, and Conscious Discipline.

Early Brain Development Research

Did you know the brain of a three-year-old is two and half times more active than an adult’s brain? This incredible fact was one of the five key findings from Rethinking the Brain: New Insights into Early Development, published by the Families and Work Institute in 1996.

The other four important findings from this research are as follows:

• Brain development is contingent on a complex interplay between genes and the environment.
• Experiences wire the brain. Repetition strengthens the wiring.
• Brain development is non-linear.
• Early relationships affect wiring.

These five key findings in brain development research provide focus and guidance for our Frog Street Threes preschool curriculum. This knowledge empowers our collective village of parents and teachers to take on the all-important job of educating our youth. Building and strengthening essential brain connections and wiring in our students’ first few years of life is crucial for a prosperous future! (Source: 2016 Frog Street Press, Inc.).

Intentionality

Following the Intentionality cornerstone of our Frog Street Threes preschool curriculum, Kiddi Kollege teachers focus on instruction with specific outcomes and goals in mind for our students’ development and learning.

Everything we do is intentional, and relates back to one or more of these four developmental domains:

• Cognitive
• Social-Emotional
• Physical (motor skills)
• Language

The Frog Street Threes preschool curriculum is organized by themes, and each week is filled with learning opportunities that support the above domain development. Our Kiddi Kollege Bear Boulevard Curriculum supports these initiatives through supplemental games, songs, projects, and activities. These hands-on lessons often come in the form of science experiments, building, art, and more!

Conscious Discipline

The third cornerstone in our Frog Street Threes preschool curriculum is Conscious Discipline, a comprehensive classroom management and social-emotional program. In addition to providing structure, it creates a learning environment where children feel safe and loved. From this foundation of safety and caring, our Kiddi Kollege students begin learning how to manage their emotions and interact appropriately with their peers. This includes self-regulation and calming strategies such as S.T.A.R., Drain, Balloon, Bunny Breathing, and Pretzel.

Dr. Becky Bailey, award-winning author, renowned teacher, and internationally recognized expert in childhood education and developmental psychology is a well-known leader among educators who practice Conscious Discipline. Dr. Bailey says, “Self-regulation is the key to school readiness and is more powerful than IQ as a predictor of academic achievement.”

When Do Children Start Preschool Programs?

Per Kansas guidelines, a child must be three years old by August 31st of the year they are enrolled in a preschool program.

If your child is not quite three years old, rest assured, there are still many early learning opportunities available to them!

Early Childhood Education Options Before and After Preschool

At Kiddi Kollege, we offer age-specific classes for infants and toddlers. After preschool, our students are invited to continue their education through our pre-Kindergarten program, known for its Kindergarten Readiness study.

FAQ Regarding Preschool

When searching for the best educational options for your growing child, there is a lot to consider. We know you have questions, so let’s get you some answers! Feel free to reach out via phone or our online contact form.

In the meantime, we hope the following blogs are helpful:

• How to Enroll My Child in Preschool
• First Day at Kiddi Kollege: What You Can Expect
• 8 Things to Look for in a Preschool in Kansas City
• Preschool vs. Pre-K
• What’s the Average Cost of Child Care?
• Why Is Early Childhood Education Important?

For more information regarding preschool programs, parenting tips, and more, check out our early childhood education blog.

Schedule a Tour at Kiddi Kollege

Guiding and inspiring future generations is our priority as well as our passion! Our family-owned and operated early childhood education centers are spread across eight locations in four cities: Leawood, Lenexa, Olathe, and Overland Park, Kansas. Schedule a preschool tour at a school near you!