Our Curriculum
We don't just tell you we're teaching your child. We show you.
Here at CLC, we've combined Early Learning Matters—a VDOE-approved Early Learning curriculum developed at Purdue University—with lessons we write ourselves, aiming to give your child the best start in their learning adventure. That's ELM+—and we show you every day!
Don't take our word for it—just open your Daily Journal
At Callahan, when your child's class participates in a lesson, it shows up in your Daily Journal in the Child Care Seer app. Every lesson comes with an entry written just for parents: what your child did, why it matters at their age, and even photos of your child hard at work (or play). By pickup, you'll already know what to ask your child about and how to continue their learning at home.
Take a look at these real entries we shared with our families:
Balls and Baskets
Today everyone had a ball and there were baskets to aim at. Children rolled, threw, dropped and carried, filling the baskets and tipping them out again in whatever order suited them. Open-ended ball play lets a toddler practice a dozen different movements without being asked to do any of them, which is why so much gets learned in it.
Sand and Shells
Today we ran our hands through dry sand and found shells hidden in it. Children dug, sifted, picked shells out one at a time and buried them again, feeling the difference between the two textures. Fingers learn a great deal from material that shifts and gives, and it is the kind of learning that only happens by touching.
Counting to Ten and Meaning It
Today we counted up to ten objects, tying each number word to exactly one thing as we went. Reciting numbers is easy and means little; making each number land on one object is the part that turns counting into arithmetic.
What is ELM+?
Curriculum you can trust...
Our classrooms teach from Early Learning Matters (ELM), a curriculum developed at Purdue University for children from birth to age five and approved by the Virginia Department of Education. ELM is built on play, exploration, and hands-on discovery, and it's aligned with Virginia's Early Learning and Development Standards—that means the skills your child develops while they're at CLC are designed to build strong learning foundations that help them meet their milestones and become kindergarten-ready.
...Enhanced to further your child's learning
Great curriculum is only a starting point! To make the most of your child's time with us, we've enhanced ELM's curriculum with additional lessons we write ourselves with your child's enrichment in mind. These lessons include more music and movement, more hands-on learning opportunities, and afternoon moments that make your child's whole day both fun and educational. That's the "plus" in ELM+—you won't find it anywhere else!
- Developed at Purdue University
- Approved by the Virginia Department of Education
- Aligned with Virginia's Early Learning Standards
Big ideas that grow with your child
While each one of our classrooms explores our curriculum at the right level for their age group, ELM+ lessons share big ideas across all age groups, so your child's learning builds over time and grows with them.
Let's take a look at one big idea, Listening and Sounds:
Listening to Everyday Sounds
A knock, a bark, running water: we make each sound out loud, and babies watch our mouths as closely as the pictures.
Which Animal Will We Be?
Children choose the farm animals, and we make every noise together, as many turns as they want.
Zoo Animal Sounds
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? Page by page, naming each animal and the sound it makes.
Rhyme or Not?
Which pairs rhyme, and which don't? Saying no takes listening carefully enough to be sure.
Rhymes We Find Ourselves
Hunting a whole song for its rhyming pairs, without being told where to look.
Or one of our own ELM+ lessons, Sink or Float:
Sink or Float
A sponge, a block, a spoon and a ball: each lands in the "went down" tray or the "stayed up" tray.
Sink or Float
One at a time, things go into the water tub. Down it goes, or it's floating?
Sink or Float
Before each object goes in, we guess: sink or float? Then we see if the water agrees.
A peek at our other lessons
Smocks, Easels and Stencils
We meet the tools real artists use (a smock, an easel, a stencil) and get trusted with them.
Playing Store
Baskets filled, groceries handed over, and everyone takes a turn behind the counter.
Mixing Colors
One stroke of red, one of yellow, a swirl where they meet, and orange shows up.
Painting With Cotton Balls
Cotton balls dabbed in yellow paint: how hard do you press to make a mark?
Watching Bubbles Drift
Bubbles float across the room, and little eyes follow each one until it pops.
Follow the Beat
Clap it back: two beats, then three, then more. Memory and rhythm, working together.
Structure you know, but plenty of room to grow
While our lesson plans and curriculum give our day its shape, there's still plenty of time for your child to play, explore, and follow their own curiosity. This includes free play, self-guided outdoor and nature time, and even quiet moments like snack that can turn into unexpected learning experiences. That's the balance we're built on—and that's the Callahan difference.
