School’s Cool in Childcare Settings

School’s Cool Makes a Difference!

The Purpose

School’s Cool is a short term, play-based curriculum designed to increase the school readiness of 3-5 year olds, especially those who may be “at risk”

of academic challenges.

The School’s Cool program is intended to:• provide childcare providers with activities and

outcomes that align with early child development standards

• provide a means for observing and measuring skilldevelopment

• assist children in acquiring the skills they need (language, math/cognitive, psychological, social and self-help) to navigate and succeed in the kindergarten classroom

The Curriculum

The School’s Cool curriculum is play-based and links activities with observable learning outcomes.

The curriculum:• reflects widely accepted best practices in the field

of early child development and related teaching approaches

• is outcome-focused, increasing specific skills and abilities (e.g. listens to examples of safety practices)

• encompasses over 100 learning activities that address the 5 domains

• is delivered by the team in circle, outdoor play, and in teacher directed, self directed and transition times

School’s Cool Outcomes

Pre and post testing of over 3,000 children has shown that, on average, children attending School’s Cool experience up to a one year

increase in school readiness skills.

The School’s Cool program provides children with

play-based learning opportunities to:• become familiar with classroom routines and

expectations• practise the skill of self-regulating in a group –

listening, taking turns, following instructions • engage in making choices that impact their

learning and behaviour • be better prepared for the transition to

kindergarten

Implementation

The School’s Cool program is flexible and can easily fit into

any childcare setting.

The School’s Cool program in Childcare: • can be delivered at any time that works best for

the centre (e.g. in the spring or summer just prior to beginning kindergarten, in the fall or winter for all children and then again in the spring or summer for children who require further support)

• consists of 24 sessions, within a 3-5 hour daily timeframe

• runs for approximately 6-8 weeks, 3-4 days per week

• is flexible, allowing activities to be interspersed with other expectations of the centre (e.g. cultural or language activities)

School’s Cool Philosophy

School’s Cool focuses on reframing challenges, finding solutions that teach the skills of effective problem

solving and moving situations to a positive resolution.

The School’s Cool philosophy:• builds on strengths that encourage a positive sense

of self in the children, their families and the instructors

• looks for the positives in each situation and collaborates on solutions that are win-win

• creates an atmosphere of constructive communication where children, parents and colleagues practice a solution-focused approach

Assessment and Evaluation

School’s Cool provides instructors with the Developmental Checklist®, a measurement tool to collect data on individual skill development

and determine next steps in planning.

The Developmental Checklist is used to:• guide skill observation of children• measure child progress daily - short and long

term• inform further planning for individual children

and small and large groups• share successes and challenges with parents

and provide suggestions for next steps at home

Pre and Post Evaluation

Teachers complete a pre and post Developmental Checklist for each child. By comparing the pre and

post checklists, teachers will see the overall change in children’s progress in the 5 domains

over the course of the program.

Pre and post checklists:• are completed in the first 4 and last 4 sessions of

the program • allow teachers to assess individual children,

create small groups for common needs and gain a broad perspective of the whole group

• provide teachers with a clear picture of each child’s strengths and needs at the end of the 24 sessions

 

Parent Involvement

School’s Cool understands the importance of parent involvement in the child’s development

and education. School’s Cool encourages parents to communicate regularly with

instructors and to make those first connections with the school community.

School’s Cool promotes parent involvement by:

• helping parents understand the important role they play in their children’s development

• planning and delivering 2 parent information sessions

• creating weekly newsletters that keep parents informed

• keeping daily student logs that identify key successes or challenges

• communicating regularly in person or by phone

Training

School’s Cool Master Trainers provide 3 days of certified instructor training, teaching how to

plan, deliver and evaluate an effective outcome-based program.

Training is also available online at www.schoolscool.com.

School’s Cool training addresses:• planning, set up and delivery of the program• the solution-focused approach to problem

solving• outcome-based learning• observational coding using a developmental

continuum• engaging parents• the benefits of working as a team

The Team Approach

School’s Cool supports the idea that knowledgeable educators working as a team can improve the

school readiness skills of children, preparing them for kindergarten. School’s Cool recommends that

sites have a minimum of 2 staff trained in order to achieve optimal success.

The delivery of the School’s Cool program is based on

trained certified instructors consistently working and

encouraging each other as a team in the following areas:

• planning and delivery of the program• debriefing of observations, thoughts and ideas• learning and growing as instructors of young

children• communicating both program and personal

successes and challenges

The School’s Cool Kit

School’s Cool Kit plus training and evaluation is a comprehensive package that encompasses all of

the tools needed to deliver the program to children and their families.

The School’s Cool kit includes:• an evidence-based school readiness curriculum for

children3-5 years

• a Developmental Checklist for observing and tracking skills

• Cool Bear and clothing• templates for communicating with parents• set up and delivery strategies including planning,

timing, materials, assessment and evaluation and more

Thank you for your interest in School’s Cool

For further information contact us at: info@schoolscool.com

or visit: www.schoolscool.com