Nursery
Curriculum Overview
In the nursery, we have been using the curriculum, “What a Wonderful World.” This curriculum has been divided into 12 sections. Each section is studied for a four-week period. The topics are usually changed every month, with holidays having special lessons.
The topics are Uniqueness, Love, Compassion, Creation in Mind, Creation in Action, Oneness, My Family, Cooperation, Peacemaking, Caretaking, Diversity of World Family, and Sacredness of Life.
The first 6 topics focus on “who am I?” as a child of God, exploring our own nature, our oneness with God and all that is. The second 6 topics focus on “who are we?” as family and community, learning and living together in harmony.
All the lessons begin with a welcome activity to help children with the transition from the parents to the classroom. Then there is a beginning experience which invites the child to participate in an activity while others are coming into the classroom. This experience begins the day’s focus and is often extended into the wonder centers.
There are several transitions during the lesson, usually with a song. First there is the gathering to the opening circle. There is a blessing of the children and the love offerings. Then Coco the Wonder Bear greets the children and encourages interaction with an honest expression of feelings and reinforcing spiritual principles. Next there is the meditation, usually very simple, sometimes with movement and learning to be quiet for 10-30 seconds ,depending on the group dynamics. After the meditation, the children repeat the affirmation of the lesson.
The next transition is to the story time. Each week there is either a story from the Bible, told in very simple language or a contemporary children’s story. After the story come the wonder questions, which help the children think about the story and make a connection with how the story is happening in their own lives. All the Bible stories have story figures made from sturdy cardboard so that the children can help tell the story. |
2009 Curriculum
Our Wonderful World
January
Uniqueness
February
Love
March
Compassion
April
Creation in Mind
May
Creation in Action
June
Oneness
July
Family
August
Cooperation
September
Peacemaking
October
Caretaking
November
Diversity
December
Sacredness | The transition to the wonder centers is the creative expression for the lesson. There are usually 4 possibilities every week, including play dough, gluing, painting, drumming, collage, coloring, drawing, taping, games, dancing, imagination play, music, building etc.
After the creative expression, the children are invited to clean up and have a small snack provided by the church. We usually serve healthy snacks such as goldfish crackers, raisins, fruit, and water. After snack we gather for our closing song or prayer.
There are also take-home flyers with the week’s lesson and songs and activities to inform the parents about what their children are learning. These are ways for the family to affirm and practice the spiritual principles at home during the week. Feel free to call the Director of Youth Ministry if you have any questions. Her phone number is published weekly in the Sunday bulletin.
Our wonderful volunteers in the nursery teach once per month. We have ages 0-5, or until a child is reading comfortably in this group. There are usually two volunteers in this room. One concentrates on the younger children and assists them during the lesson. The other volunteer presents the lesson activities to the children who are older and able to follow.
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