Co-Teach Preschool

At Co-Teach, the staff recognize and work to enhance the development of the whole child, withprimary emphasis placed on safety and building kindergarten readiness skills. The curriculum at Co-Teach Preschool is a diverse collection of programs that are evidence-based and which contribute to the overall mission of our program. The curricula is comprised of the On Track Curriculum and Assessment, which serves as the foundational framework; Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS); Open Court, Good Talking Words (GTW); Handwriting Without Tears (HWT), The Incredible Years, the Montana Early Literacy Project Model (MELP); and Zoo-phonics. 

In order to determine the effectiveness of our curriculum we use a variety of assessment tools. The assessments measure children’s strengths, progress, and needs over the course of a school year. They allow teachers to be responsive to the changing needs of each child in the program. Data-informed decisions are made on a continuous basis with regard to teaching strategies and to determine if and when more focused intervention is needed. Co-Teach utilizes assessment tools that incorporate family input and progress is monitored and shared with families multiple times throughout the year.

Co-Teach embraces the notion that in order for children to experience success and to develop a positive outlook on school and learning, curricula must be challenging, engaging, developmentally appropriate, and likely to promote positive outcomes for all. We provide engaging learning environments and curricular content that is responsive to young children’s unique strengths, interests, and needs.

We believe that children learn best through interactive play with children of varying abilities, interests, cultural backgrounds, and family structures. We work to provide opportunities for children’s unique personalities, family experiences, values, beliefs and languages to be honored and respected. Teachers provide accommodations and modifications as necessary based on family input and assessment results and/or individualized education programs.

Teachers use a variety of teaching strategies based on research and best practices in early childhood. In order to foster children's social and emotional competence, we implement the principles of Positive Behavioral Supports (PBS), maintain high expectations of children and ourselves, establish and follow consistent routines, nurture an inclusive learning environment, explicitly teach friendship skills, provide specific and supportive feedback to all children, and model and reinforce appropriate behavior.