Extending Preschool Creativity and Learning

Safe Haven Preschool is not only keenly attuned to the needs of its students, but also to those of their families and teachers. The Learning Beyond Paper curriculum that we employ is one that actively involves parents in their child’s learning process by providing online tools that extend lessons of the day into the home.

About Learning Beyond Paper, Inc.

Our Mission: Learning Beyond’s mission is to address the severe gap in affordable, high-quality, 21st century curricula with online solutions that support and promote the success of today’s teachers.

Learning Beyond (LB) was created by educators with over 150 years of combined experience as leaders in the Department of Education, Early Learning Coalition Directors, NAEYC PD Facilitators, State Curriculum Review Board Members, ELC Professors and Owners, Directors and Teachers who understand the challenges early learning providers face.

For nearly thirty years, research-based, classroom-tested curriculum has consisted of binders, books, and paper-based kits that can cost up to $40,000 and require replacing every three to five years. This model does not support a majority of early learning providers and is not sustainable. We believe teachers and our children deserve better.

At a time when early learning centers are struggling to hire and retain teachers, and qualified teachers, tired of feeling overworked and underpaid are leaving the field, the business impact of curriculum cannot be clearer. Hiring gaps and inconsistency in care from turnover impacts performance, creating challenges in other areas, such as enrollment, quality of instruction, and maintaining positive outcomes for children.

LB’s affordable, 100% online curriculum was designed to be easy to use, and evergreen – new content is available automatically, on-going at no additional cost. Training is built into daily activities and Professional Development is included free, yes, FREE! This is a model that provides a true win for providers, teachers, families and the communities they serve. As centers struggle to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, LB is proud to offer a solution that provides financial and time-saving relief.

Our Philosophy: At Learning Beyond Paper, Inc., we firmly believe that no teacher should be left behind, and our children deserve a foundation of learning from infancy. We are here to do our part. Our philosophy includes:

• Learning Beyond supports new teachers at every step and provides experienced teachers opportunities to expand on learning goals.
• Teachers are facilitators in each individual child’s learning journey. Through intentional interactions, language-rich experiences, and well-planned activities, children will develop the skills necessary to become successful, life-long learners.
• Our developmentally appropriate activities integrate early learning standards such as physical development, social-emotional skills, early mathematics and language and literacy development.
  Children will develop problem-solving skills through trial and error, questioning, and exploration.
• Our innovative curriculum will develop technology-literate learners with a focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) in every Daily Activity.
• Learning Beyond is committed to helping to save our environment for future generations.
• We will continue to expand our 100% online programs to help providers reduce their carbon footprint.
• Learning Beyond proudly supports OneTreePlanted.org with on-going donations for worldwide reforestation efforts.

Continuous improvement is at the heart of Learning Beyond. We will never stop pushing ourselves to bring the best solutions to support educators, the children and families they serve, and the world we live in.

The Creative Curriculum

Nationally recognized for being forward thinking, comprehensive, and rigorously researched, The Creative Curriculum is designed to help teachers prepare and implement content-rich, developmentally appropriate programs for preschool children. This curriculum uniquely balances teacher-planned and child-initiated learning, while emphasizing responsiveness to each child’s strengths, interests, needs and learning styles in every developmental area.

The Creative Curriculum philosophy is based on five fundamental beliefs:

• Constructive, purposeful play is the best vehicle for meaningful learning.
• The development of social competence is a key focus of the preschool years.
• Relationships are the foundation for learning.
• Curriculum and assessment must be linked.
• Families are essential partners in a child’s learning.

The curriculum’s seven essential aspects of teaching literacy in the preschool classroom includes:

• Talking, singing and playing with language
• Conducting long-term studies
• Meaningful play
• Reading aloud
• Story telling
• Story retelling
• Writing

At Safe Haven Preschool, we encourage our students to learn about the world around them, and the community they live in. We have found that field trips and nature walks are excellent tools for reinforcing our overall curriculum and daily classroom lessons. Each field trip is thoughtfully planned to coincide with our bi-weekly learning units. Our regular class excursions include trips to the planetarium, the art and science museums, bowling and skating, a pumpkin and strawberry patch, as well as weekly visits to The Village for the preschool story circle.