ELS Curriculum

At VCELS our mission is to foster a faith-filled community of lifelong learners, compassionate leaders and to follow Jesus’ example through prayer, service, and love.

VCELS uses The Creative Curriculum as our primary resource. It is a comprehensive, research based curriculum that integrates a rich, developmentally appropriate program. The curriculum includes supports for early learning standards for infants, toddlers, twos and preschool in the following areas:

  • social emotional
  • physical
  • language
  • cognitive
  • literacy
  • mathematics
  • science and technology

The Creative Curriculum is based on 38 Objectives for Development & Learning and uses exploration and discovery as tools for developing confidence, creativity, and critical thinking skills.

Valley Catholic Early Learning School also incorporates Heggerty Phonemic Awareness to supplement the
curriculum in preschool and pre-kindergarten classrooms. Daily lessons provide practice and exposure with eight
phonemic awareness skills:

  • Rhyme
  • Onset fluency
  • Phoneme isolation (initial, final, and medial)
  • Blend words, syllables, onset-rime, and phonemes
  • Segment words, syllables, onset-rime, and phonemes
  • Add words, syllables, and initial phonemes
  • Delete words, syllables, and initial phonemes
  • Substitute initial phonemes

VCELS uses “The Beginners Bible“; a devotional book that includes Bible verses and short stories, thoughts to
grow on based on that Bible verse, and a challenge that encourages children to connect to God. Our desire is to
help develop a positive foundation for faith formation and begin religious readiness.

Also included in the preschool curriculum is Second Step, a social emotional curriculum. Second step helps
students develop self-regulation and social-emotional skills like empathy, friendship building, problem solving,
emotion management, and transitioning to kindergarten.

Preschool classes also offer a Music Readiness program monthly where students get to explore different
instruments and sounds.

VCELS spends time exploring campus and connecting with students and staff throughout the schools. We visit
residents at Maryville Nursing Home to engage with the seniors, spend time visiting with the Sisters, and enjoy
VCES first grade buddies who visit once a month to read to our preschoolers and take part in an activity
together.

We also love our high school friends who often stop by to do fun crafts and projects with our students.

If you have any questions about our early learning program, contact Amber Ploussard, Principal.