In our infant nursery we work in partnership with you, the parents or guardians, to meet the needs and encourage the healthy development of each infant on an individual basis. From early infancy, we give our love to the babies entrusted to our care so they will grow with trust in themselves and in others. Wholesome care will be provided in an atmosphere of warmth and love so that each one of these special little ones can mature with a special sense of security. Each baby in our care has a new curriculum developed each month to enhance progressive learning. In the early months, our focus is on providing supervised "tummy time" to help infants learn to grasp objects out of their reach, lift their head, develop muscle arm and leg strength to push up and start to crawl. As development progresses, the curriculum focuses on strategies that help infants learn to sit up, creep, crawl, climb and walk according to their own individualized developmental clock. Gross motor, fine motor, music, cradle literacy, and learning to handle their emotional responses are blocks that build on one another which is way individuation of goals varies from infant to infant. Daily sheets will detail diaper changes, foods eaten, time spent sleeping, and the curriculum focused on that day. In partnership with families, our infants evolve to be more independent, curious, and fascinated with learning more and more about themselves, their families and their world.

For our Caterpillars Classroom, communication is key and sometimes difficult with speech emerging at this age. So is learning how to share. Language becomes a focus in this class as we read out loud, teach the children how to pick up and manage their personal space while learning to make safe choices in play centers. Three step directions are practiced. Denver Child Care Academy's curriculum at this age starts with the fine motor skills associated with using utensils, pulling up and down pants and cutting with scissors. Toilet training is a focus of this classroom as children read books about using the potty and learning to recognize cues for when it is time to use the potty. Art is a staple in the class- fun messy art, play dough, self-expression art and many fun hand/foot keepsake art for parents. Sign language is also utilized in this classroom along with frequent communications between faculty and the children in the classroom to help our older toddlers develop receptive and expressive language skills.

In our Butterflies room, our children are offered a wide variety of activities and curriculum signed to help toddlers reach important developmental miles stones. Toddlers are introduced to sign language as a method to communicate needs. We read books aloud, tell stories, do finger plays, puppet shows, hands-on art, outdoor large motor play and of course music to help children learn routines that help manage their behavior. They learn how to sit down to family style dining, feeding themselves, practice manners and taking turns. At Denver Child Care Academy, we have found that sitting on the floor and engaging with the children is the best way to keep a child both safe and engaged. Every day we offer a daily sheet about what your child learned, ate, a diaper log and how they slept for the day. We utilize a creative curriculum along with pyramid plus strategies to keep our toddlers on track for progressive developmental goals.

Early Preschool (Dragonflies) is a time for full discovery. Language is evolving, simple instructions can be followed. The birth of imagination comes to play. The preschool mind is like a sponge ready for information. Questions come to life as we learn about the world we live in and how we fit into it! The feeling of belonging and acceptance becomes strong at this age. The importance of love, guidance and understanding are keys to figuring out how to ignite the genius within each child. Children learn to make safe choices and can select from a number of stations for learning – math, science, art, literacy, music, housekeeping, sensory-rich activities and also learn about personal space. Learning how to make and keep friends is also a focus in this classroom. Peace education and bilingual teaching in both Spanish and English are also an important part of the preschool program.

Preschool program starts with numbers 1 -10, letters in a child's name, and simple cutting skills. As these skills are mastered we move to the complete alphabet and numbers 1-100 are taught in progressive stages of learning. Preschool children are ready for the creativity and self-expression associated with modes of art. Music becomes a mood and a lifestyle. Routine and structure are essential as we teach safety and classroom rules to get the children ready for standard elementary classroom etiquette. Our bilingual focus on both Spanish and English instruction broadens the horizons of our students and helps prepare them for a deeper understanding of cultural diversity. Understanding mathematical concepts, linguistic, comprehensive reading and writing all are part of our push for Kindergarten readiness for all our students. Assessments are done several times a year to make sure that we are on track or accommodations are needed to help advance a child's learning.