The goals have remained essentially the same as when they were stated for the 1972-73 school year, as follows:

1.      To provide for each child a warm and supportive climate where he/she is respected and trusted.

2.      To foster positive feelings in the child about self, family, school and community.

3.      To stimulate the child to explore and discover the world around herself/himself through concrete, manipulative experiences.

4.      To encourage the child to actively participate in his/her learning by planning, decision making and solving problems.

5.      To assure the child’s feelings of success through mastery of his/her environment.

6.      To provide the child with opportunities for interaction with a diverse population of children and families,  including children with special needs.

7.      To provide a self-selective, integrated learning environment which incorporates early mathematics, early literacy, language development, science, creative expression (art, music, drama, dance), social studies, health and safety, and physical development.  Social-emotional development is inextricably linked across all areas of curriculum and development.

8.   To provide opportunities for family involvement and participation in the program. ACG’s  “Curriculum in Action” is not “taught” in isolated blocks of time.  It is integrated throughout the day into various activities. Within the curriculum components listed above (math, science, early literacy, social studies, etc.) several broad areas of study are particularly well suited for integrating all areas of the curriculum across time. This “Curriculum in Action” framework includes a description of ways some of these can be implemented.  Among these are cooking, animals/pets, water play, sand play, and construction.