HCHS Curriculums

At Holy Cross Head Start, we utilize a variety of curriculums and resources to ensure that your child is learning to the best of their ability based upon developmentally appropriate practices.

With the multitude of curriculums that we use, we are preparing your child in all areas of the School Readiness Goals to ensure future success.  Below is a brief description of each curriculum that is used at Holy Cross Head Start.

Creative Curriculum

Creative Curriculum is a research based, developmentally appropriate early childhood curriculum that includes objectives for development and learning.  It helps educators to create high quality programs that meet the unique needs of the children and families they serve.  Creative Curriculum supports the creation of a high quality learning environment that enables every child to become a creative positive thinker.  It also allows for teachers to provide an opportunity for children to connect prior knowledge and life experiences in the classroom.  Our school readiness goals were created using learning objectives of the Creative Curriculum's Teaching Strategies GOLD assessment tool.  Teaching Strategies GOLD is utilized not only as a framework to guide children's learning but is also the main database used to collect, analyze, and interpret assessment data.  Teaching Strategies GOLD is based on 38 research based objectives that include predictors of school readiness goals that focus on the success of the five essential domains (Physical Development and Health, Social Emotional, Language and Literacy, Cognitive and General Knowledge, and Approaches to Learning) and are aligned with the Common Core State Standards, State Early Learning Guidelines, and the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework.

Houghton Mifflin

Houghton Mifflin Pre-K is a hands-on, minds-on curriculum that is based on scientific research.  Aligned with key Pre-K learning goals, it provides children with the foundational skills they need to succeed as lifelong learners.  With carefully selected themes, the Houghton Mifflin Pre-k curriculum immerses pre-kindergarten learners in engaging activities, books, conversation topics, advanced vocabulary, and includes all aspects of the classroom environment, developing a strong foundation for a brighter future.

Second Step

Second Step is a universal prevention program, which means that it is used with all children.  The curriculum goals focus on reducing aggressive and disruptive behavior, while promoting social-emotional competencies.  Second Step curriculum promotes positive outcomes including a decreased incidence of aggressive behaviors, as well as an increase in evidence of emotional self regulation.  The program teaches children to think of others' feelings, to solve problems cooperatively and manage their anger in a positive way.  The Second Step program recognizes that the foundations for healthy social-emotional learning include trust, respect, personal responsibility and ability to problem solve.

Cavity Free Kids

Cavity Free Kids is oral health education for children and their families.  Cavity Free Kids allows for oral health to be an integral part of our daily routines and interactions with children and families.  The curriculum includes lessons, play based activities and complimentary parent resources that make it easy for you to teach children and their families about what causes tooth decay and how to prevent it.

SPARK

SPARK is a research based, public health organization dedicated to creating, implementing and evaluating programs that promote lifelong wellness.  SPARK strives to improve the health of children, adolescents and adults by disseminating evidence-based Physical Education, After School, Early Childhood and Coordinated School Health programs to teachers and recreation leaders serving Pre-k through 12th grade students.  Each SPARK program fosters environmental and behavioral change by providing a coordinated package of highly active curriculum, on site teacher training, extensive follow-up support and content matched equipment.  Holy Cross Head Start adopted the Early Childhood SPARK Curriculum in 2015 as a means to increase the intentionality of physical education in an effort to increase the children's gross motor skills.