Celebrating Me and My World
A Unitarian Universalist Preschool CurriculumBy Debora Chandler Pratt
- Theme and Description
- This full-year curriculum celebrates the wondrous qualities of children and the animals, objects, and people around them. Provides preschoolers with experiences and opportunities to grow in trust and caring and to develop their self-identity and sense of connectedness with all of life.
- Goals for Participants
- To develop a positive self-image;
To feel safe and accepted at home and in the church;
To become familiar with the terms "Unitarian Universalist," "Unitarian Universalism," and chalice;
To engage in the joy of sharing and living in a group;
To become aware and appreciative of our interconnectedness with nature;
To develop cooperative skills;
To express what they see, feel, think, remember, and prefer;
To extend the boundaries of what they regard as "their world."
- Age Range
- Ages 3 to 5
- Size of Group
- 8 to 12 ideal
- Space Requirements
- A large, cheerful room with appropriate furniture, equipment, and space for circle time, preschool activities, and snack time. Occasional access to safe outdoor space is needed.
- Number and Length of Sessions
- 37 sessions
Length: 1.5 hours - Leader Training
- No special training is required, team teaching is recommended.
- Leader Preparation
- 1 to 2 hours per session
- Strengths
- Includes excellent teacher background and guidelines.
Presents clear, detailed session plans.
Features sessions that can stand alone.
Engaging activities and a closing ritual promote a sense of belonging to a religious community.
Contains effective, simple, varied, and meaningful activities and resources.
Includes an extensive bibliography and music resource list. - Limitations
- Teachers must choose among activities to fit time limit for each session.
Requires gathering many resources and materials for each session.
Requires coordination by teachers. - Adaptability
- With careful planning, this program can be effective with children ages 2 1/2 to 5.
Session sequencing can be adapted to seasons. - Unitarian Universalist Values
- Each session helps children identify with their classmates and religious community and affirm acceptance of one another, and nurtures spiritual and ethical growth. Unitarian Universalist principles and values that are implicitly promoted throughout the program include the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equity, and compassion in human relations; and respect for the interdependent web of existence of which we are a part.
Reviewed on June 30, 2004
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Curricula
