Our Curriculum
Mountain Lakes Country Day School uses the Creative Curriculum, which is one of the four recommended curricula in New Jersey. The Creative Curriculum is a research-based curriculum system designed to help educators at all levels of experience plan and implement a developmentally appropriate, content-rich program for children with diverse backgrounds and skill levels.
The curriculum provides children with the opportunity to choose from various materials and activities to enhance learning through hands-on experiences. It offers teachers the guidance, support and freedom to be creative and responsive to children. Children spend time in both individual and group activities. Our program is designed to encourage critical thinking and decision making, and to provide for the development of skills and knowledge.
Interest areas play an important role in each classroom. These include:
- Dramatic Play
- Math/Manipulatives
- Blocks
- Books/Cozy Area
- Art/Easel
- Computers
- Science/Discovery
- Language/Literacy Areas
- Music
- Cooking
Children develop their emotional, social, physical and intellectual skills through daily interactions with caregivers, other children and developmentally appropriate materials while being given continuous opportunities for exploration and discovery.
Children develop their emotional, social, physical and intellectual skills through daily interactions with caregivers, other children and developmentally appropriate materials while being given continuous opportunities for exploration and discovery.
Our Teachers assess all children birth to six years of age using valid and reliable assessment tools including Kindergarten readiness. In addition, staff does work sampling (samples of art, handwriting, etc.) and anecdotal records to assess a child’s progress. Assessment results are shared with parents at twice yearly parent teacher conferences and as appropriate.
“Our children have been more than prepared for public school after attending MLCDS. The Preschool, Pre-K and Kindergarten curriculum at Mountain Lakes Country Day School have prepared our children with readiness skills, reading skills and math skills that have given them a nice foundation on which to build as they go forward in their school careers. We thank you very much for all that you do in this school!”
Mountain Lakes Country Day School