Language Acquisition Preschool

LAP follows the Language-Focused Curriculum, designed to be naturalistic and child-friendly.

Daily lessons and classroom activities are centered around a weekly theme. Activities in the LAP classroom are both child-centered and teacher-led. While some activities are routine in nature, others change daily based on the theme of the lesson. Dramatic play activities are a foundational piece of the LAP curriculum because they naturally facilitate language learning, emergent literacy skills, and social interaction.

The Principles of the Language-Focused Curriculum

1. The curriculum should enable all preschool children to benefit from activities to enhance their language acquisition; children with better verbal skills are better prepared for school entry.
2. The curriculum should adhere to the principles of children’s language acquisition.
3. Many of the time-honored practices for children’s preparation for school entry should be followed, along with developmentally appropriate practice regarding cognitive and social development. 
4. Care should be taken to educate children with speech and language impairments in a classroom with their typically developing peers in the least restrictive environment.
5. Staff should ensure that children with language intervention needs are not separated from the group in ways that highlight their limitations; therefore, children should not be identified for individual therapy sessions outside of the room. 
6. Parental involvement should be recognized as an important component of any efforts to develop children’s language, social, and cognitive skills.

The Preschool Curriculum Books

• Building a Language-Focused Curriculum for the Preschool Classroom, Volume I: A Foundation for Lifelong Communication (1995) edited by Mabel Rice and Kim Wilcox
• Building a Language-Focused Curriculum for the Preschool Classroom, Volume II: A Planning Guide (1995) by Betty Bunce
• Early Literacy in Action: The Language Focused Curriculum (2008) by Betty Bunce