Education
Our Philosophy
At Head Start of Laramie, we embrace a whole-child philosophy that nurtures each child’s growth in a warm, inclusive environment. Our mixed-age classrooms for 3 to 5 year olds foster peer learning, collaboration, and leadership, allowing children to thrive at their own pace. Grounded in research-based curriculum, our program emphasizes hands-on, play-based experiences that support cognitive, social-emotional, and physical development. We partner with families to celebrate each child’s unique strengths, ensuring a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success.
School Readiness Goals
Perceptual, Motor & Physical Development:
All children will develop greater awareness and control of how their bodies move in space.
Social & Emotional Development:
All children will learn how to recognize emotions in themselves and others and engage in increasingly positive interactions with peers and adults.
Approaches to Learning:
All children will become more creative and independent when engaging in play, following routines, and caring for themselves and their environment.
Language and Literacy:
All children will use non-verbal and increasing language skills to express wants and needs, gain information, and engage in conversation with others with growing complexity.
Cognition:
Children will explore and observe the world around them to gather information, further their knowledge, and convey their understanding to others.
What Guides Us?
Conscious Discipline
Conscious Discipline is a brain and research-based philosophy that guides behavior management and social-emotional education. Through an understanding of brain function and development, Conscious Discipline teaches us that all behavior is a form of communication and gives us the tools and powers it takes to make intentional, helpful decisions that guide children in understanding their emotions and learning positive ways to handle any situation.
At Head Start, our staff use the techniques and philosophies of Conscious Discipline to build connections with each other, families, and children; and create a safe and positive environment for all!
Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF)
ELOF presents five broad areas of early learning, referred to as central domains. These domains reflect research-based expectations for learning and development. The ELOF emphasizes the key skills, behaviors, and knowledge that programs must foster in children ages birth to five to help them be successful in school and life. The ELOF identifies what young children should know and be able to do. It is used as a guide for programs to plan and implement a comprehensive, yet focused, learning program.
Wyoming Early Learning Standards
The Wyoming Early Learning Standards provide a framework to assist anyone who touches the life of a young child as they make important decisions to support their learning and development. Grounded in the science of early learning and inspired by nationally recognized standards and developmental milestones the Wyoming Early Learning Standards are an evidence-based tool with application that makes sense for Wyoming.
The Wyoming Early Learning Standards frame children’s development from birth through the kindergarten year across four developmental domains, Relationships and Interactions, Communication, Cognition, and Physical Health and Development. Each domain includes subdomains, standards, and benchmarks to help adults identify and celebrate children’s learning and support their individual learning needs.
Creative Curriculum
The Creative Curriculum builds children's confidence, creativity, and critical thinking skills through hands-on, project-based investigations. Our curriculum respects and nurtures individual skill progression for the whole child; harnesses the power of play through studies that engages learners as young as two; seamlessly connects families to their children's learning; and provides intentional support for teachers every day.