Preschool Classrooms
North Country Kids operates three integrated classrooms, two in Plattsburgh, NY and one in Keeseville, NY. The classrooms consist of six community children and six children with special needs, a special education teacher, a community teacher and a teaching assistant.
In addition to the integrated classrooms, we offer two self-contained classrooms, one in Cumberland Head Elementary school and the other at our building. These classrooms consist of six children with more significant delays, often with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, a Special Education Teacher, and two Teacher Assistants.
A speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, music therapist, counselor and/or paraprofessionals may also be an integral part of the team. The classrooms operate five hours per day.
Our integrated classrooms use the Scholastic Building Language for Literacy Curriculum. This early literacy program equips children with critical language and literacy skills and experience they need to build the foundation for reading success. This program is based on the latest research, and features language characters that help to inspire and motivate learning. It is built upon children’s home and community experiences to create meaningful connections and provides opportunities for literacy success for every child. The goals of the program are aligned with the New York State Standards and include; increasing understanding of math concepts, oral language development, phonological awareness, letter knowledge and print concepts.
North Country Kids preschool also implements the Handwriting without Tears Curriculum which is described in more detail with our writing center and is a writing program that builds the foundation skills necessary for a formal writing program in kindergarten. Our school psychologist also pushes into the classroom and implements the Second Step-Social Emotional curriculum which helps to reinforce positive pro-social skills for the children to use in their daily activities.
The following centers are offered to the children each day to explore and reinforce learning:
- Building & Manipulative Center
- Language, Writing & Listening
- Art
- Book Center
- Circle Time
- Sensory Tables
- Dramatic Play
- Music & Movement
- Outdoor/Gym Play
For more information about enrolling your child in our classroom, contact North Country Kids at (518) 561-3803.
Our teachers have a wide range of experience and will utilize methods based on the techniques of Applied Behavior Analysis. This is a branch of psychology and education with a foundation based on scientific analysis of human behavior and learning. The major emphasis will be to give children a variety of ways to communicate including speech development, picture exchange, and augmentative communication systems.
Our comprehensive program incorporates several components of ABA which have been proven to be effective in the acquisition of skills across developmental domains. The following ABA components are offered:
- Discrete Trial Training
- Incidental Teaching/Naturalistic Teaching Strategies
- Functional Behavioral Assessments
- Positive Behavioral Supports
- Preference Assessments
- Visual schedules
- Video Modeling
- Play Activity Schedules
- Social Skills Training
- Generalization Training
- Self Management Skills
- Data Collection and Analysis
- Errorless Teaching
- Picture Exchange Communication
We plan classroom activities that promote high levels of engagement and provide multiple opportunities to apply systematic instruction to achieve educational goals. Children will increase social interaction skills by beginning to learn in small groups. Pre-academic, play and self-help skills are also a main focus of the intensive training as children on the spectrum often have deficits in these areas. The classroom curriculum will follow a developmental progression and be taught using a combination of discrete trials and natural learning opportunities. As children show progress in acquiring and developing their social skills, they are systematically introduced to activities involving typical peer interaction. The North Country Kids Program has children with typical developing skills within the building; therefore, children who require this more restrictive classroom setting to learn will have many opportunities to generalize their skills with typically developing peers in other classrooms as well as during lunch, recess and specials.
North Country Kids, Inc.
Fax 518-561-3805