Curriculum
The Cornerstone Curriculum is based on the most current knowledge and research about how young children develop and learn. Aligned with the Florida school readiness standards, our program has a strong early literacy component which includes plenty of practice with a variety of emergent reading writing materials and activities. Our curriculum also builds a strong foundation in math and education. Along with the weekly theme and letter, there is a planned sequence of science, social studies, math, and phonological awareness concepts, which are taught through hands-on activity, games, and/or story time.
Our graduates consistently enter Kindergarten well ahead of their peers and exceed expectations. But, the most important part of our curriculum is that the children are having fun while learning and growing! They think they are playing; we know they are learning.
Evaluations & Portfolios
At the start of each new school year, we begin observing and evaluating each child’s development in a variety of domains: social-emotional, physical, cognitive, language, and early literacy. Children’s progress is continuously monitored through informal observations, portfolio assessments, and an annual written evaluation.
In addition to a checklist-style evaluation, we collect representative samples of each child’s “work” throughout their stay at Cornerstone and collect them into an individual portfolio. Portfolios allow us to see the progress and changes over time, and they also help us plan and individualize our instruction.
Finally, VPK children are evaluated twice a year using the Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten Assessment tool to measure progress during the VPK school year. All assessments are done in an age-appropriate and fun way by Cornerstone staff. The children just think they are playing a special game, but as they’re having fun, our teachers are gaining valuable information that helps us individualize instruction.
We encourage you to speak with us if you ever have any questions or concerns about your child’s progress or our educational program.
Learn more about the programs we participate in by
clicking the images below: