Infants – 6 weeks to 16 months

At Bloom, we understand how delicate and complex the early stages of life are for infants.  Providing a warm, loving environment and establishing a relationship with the world is vital to their development.  In addition to cuddling, nurturing and attending to an infant’s basic needs, our teachers also make sure each child experiences activities that will help them enhance their physical, language, cognitive, social and emotional skills such as:

• story time, music and simple games.
• singing, nursery rhymes, and finger plays.
• speech, sign language, and facial expressiveness.

Our stimulating classroom is filled with toys, mirrors, large pictures, and baskets full of books that encourage the babies to explore and discover the world around them. Bloom’s teachers also promote motor development through hands-on play, exploration and mobility.

Infant’s schedule

Bloom teachers are responsive to the needs of our youngest students and each child’s schedule is determined individually.  Before a baby’s first day, parents will meet with the teachers to determine what type of routine they would like their baby to follow.  Then, teachers will work closely with parents to adapt the schedule to the changing needs of each infant.  Once a child gets a little older, teachers will begin to tailor schedules to prepare for the transition to the toddler room at 16 months.

Toddlers – 16 months to 36 months

The Bloom Toddler Program caters to the very specific needs of children between 16 months and 36 months.  This age is full of exploration and huge growth in language and social skills. Toddlers are extremely curious and eager, active learners; so our toddler teachers carefully tailor their classrooms specifically for the adventurous nature of this group.

Each fun-packed day is filled with teacher-guided open playtime as the toddlers learn how to interact with one another and the materials around them.  The toddler teachers model language skills and help the children in the classroom learn to express their wants and needs.

With each passing month toddlers begin to test their boundaries and assert their independence and they make huge strides in how they communicate and socialize with their parents, teachers and peers. The teacher’s role is to balance this need for independence while guiding each child’s learning and development.

All levels of development are fostered at Bloom by providing toddlers with all the tools and activities needed to grow and learn in a way that is developmentally appropriate and geared toward each child’s unique personality.

Preschool and Pre-K – 3 to 5 years old

Our Preschool Program introduces children to the important next steps in early learning and kindergarten readiness. Each day brings a new adventure as our preschoolers learn to play cooperatively and are exposed to a variety of learning activities.

As children turn three, they become more aware of their role in the world around them and have increased social interactions with their peers and adults.  As they turn four, they begin to master the skills and tools they will need to succeed when they enter kindergarten. Our talented and highly trained teachers not only help young children excel in language and cognitive learning, but also promote independence, curiosity, decision-making, cooperation, persistence, creativity, and problem solving — the fundamental skills that help determine success in school and life.

Bloom’s Preschool Program is a comprehensive collection of rich resources that offer moment-to-moment support designed to help children explore science, social studies, writing activities, reading and phonics skills and math concepts through daily discovery-based, open-ended activities.  Feedback from Wayzata kindergarten teachers and testing by Wayzata School District has proven our students are entering kindergarten not only ready, but exceeding expectations.

The Creative Curriculum^®

Bloom has a reputation for high quality early childhood education in the Plymouth community and surrounding area. Centered upon The Creative Curriculum^®, our programs emphasize exploration and discovery as a way of learning. Our supporting curriculum tools include Second Step^® Social-Emotional Learning, which helps teach the important social emotional and self-regulation skills children need for success in kindergarten and beyond. We incorporate lessons from Learning About Nutrition through Activities (LANA) into our curriculum to encourage children to make healthy food choices through fun experiences. Bloom teachers use GOLD^®, an observation-based assessment program, to help them document each child’s performance and to create individual objectives for each child.

Values-Centered

The Virtues Project^® is another very important tool we use at our centers.  It emphasizes basic values that build character and responsibility. At Bloom, staff use The Virtues Project to model positive behavior to help the children cultivate these traits within themselves: 

A new virtue is introduced monthly through puppet shows and stories and is talked about and demonstrated throughout each school day.

Environment / Facilities

Our curriculum extends into the physical space at our centers because we believe children learn best when they are engaged. Each classroom is set up differently to complement the ages and interests of our children.  Fun monthly themes keep children involved and enhance their learning experience.

• Engaging classrooms with designated areas for art, sensory exploration, dramatic play, reading, science and math.
• Interest areas in each classroom set challenges for children to practice skills and meet objectives/milestones.
• Large motor rooms for indoor play provide ample opportunities for developing large and small motor skills.
• Outdoor play areas are clean, safe, secure, stimulating and full of fun.