Our Curriculum
The Curriculum Components
Rise Early is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and is proud to hold a 4-Star Parent Aware rating; the highest level of quality in Minnesota. The program offers an affordable, high-quality early childhood education (ECE) center serving 62 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Children become school-ready and achieve developmental milestones through individualized observations and other assessments. Regular and ongoing family engagement events allow families to inform the direction of programming for their children.
Rise Early utilizes a locally-designed curriculum that includes long-term investigations developed and individualized by our teaching teams. This approach is Reggio-Emilia inspired and relies on the knowledge of children’s ongoing interests and curiosity to guide learning in each of the Minnesota Early Childhood Indicators of Progress domains. Classrooms spend 2-6 weeks on a single topic, exploring and enriching knowledge about the world.
Our teachers complete ongoing, authentic assessments using Focused Portfolios. Each month, families receive group and individual stories noting the amazing work their child is focusing on and their progress across all learning domains.
Rise Early teachers participate in ongoing coaching and professional development opportunities, shaped by our Director of Curriculum.
Nature Curriculum
Children participate in active learning and environmental stewardship through daily nature experiences.
The Arts
Children participate in consistent, intentional engagement in age-appropriate art and music opportunities through partnerships with professionally trained staff and volunteers.
Food Philosophy
We value exposure to a variety of foods, textures, ethnic cuisines, and methods of preparation, and encourage children to try new things. We seek to encourage children to participate in the preparation, enjoyment, knowledge, and stewardship of their food and nutrition.