Little Steps Learning Center is founded on the principle that all children deserve quality childcare. We believe that young children learn through play and exploration of their environment. We facilitate children’s learning, of all abilities, through a play based curriculum using tactile and multicultural toys, sensory exploration centers, child-initiated art, and a playground accessible to all children. Teachers interact frequently with all children initiating discussion and responding to children’s cues for attention and care giving as soon as possible.

Little Steps Learning Center’s center-based curriculum, or plan for learning, hinges on two fundamental aspects of childhood: play and daily routines. Little Steps Learning Center uses learning centers with developmentally appropriate activities and a play based daily routine to ensure skill development through their play. Children are given the opportunity to choose and experiment in the learning centers within the classroom. We believe that learning center activities are opportunities for children to learn skills in large muscle movement (gross motor), small muscle movement (fine motor), understanding and communicating with others, doing things for him/her self (adaptive/self help), developing relationships and feelings about one’s self (social emotional), thinking and problem solving (cognitive) and child initiated art and music (creativity). Little Steps Learning Center enhances these opportunities for children to learn by allowing them to explore the environment and support them with many teacher child interactions throughout their play and daily activities.

In an effort to provide the best services possible, Little Steps Learning Center is committed to participation in the State Improvement Project entitled FOCUS. “FOCUS on Young Children’s Learning” is New Mexico’s third generation Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System (TQRIS). Developed by the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD), the goal of FOCUS is to foster program leadership, cultivate teacher quality, and support positive outcomes for all children.

Children’s health is also a very important aspect for our program. We are certified through the Children and Adult Food Care Program through CYFD of NM. The program helps us to ensure that we are providing sanitary, nutritional, balanced meals to every child everyday. We adhere to family style dining where all children and their teacher sit at the table together and learn to serve themselves, wait for each one to have their servings and then enjoy their meal.

The goal of FOCUS is to foster program leadership, cultivate teacher quality, and support positive outcomes for all children.