Our Approach to Learning

• PLAY is PRIMARY!
• Play provides children with opportunities to enhance their social and emotional growth and learn about friendships and responsibility. Social Skills are enhanced through both group activities such as story and sharing time as well as through through imaginative, dramatic play that encourages creativity, teamwork and cooperative play.
• Play develops language and problem solving skills as children generate solutions and make decisions.

The deepest and most lasting learning occurs through play.

Gabriele Rico, PhD, author of Writing the Natural Way

• Playing with building blocks, manipulatives, and puzzles encourages children to learn math concepts such as space, shapes, balance, size, and how things fit together; experimenting with paints, crayons, markers, water colors, clay and colored paper teaches colors and enhances fine motor skills; hands-on experiences and games introduce the concepts of counting and letters in meaningful ways such as placing the correct number of glasses and plates on the snack table or learning to print their name on their artwork.
• Play encourages use of the imagination and creative abilities through exploration and discovery in an enjoyable learning experience. Children learn through doing, experimenting, discovering and exploring, rather than memorizing isolated facts or information.Qualified and experienced teachers facilitate children’s learning by following an integrated curriculum whereby they interact with children during teacher-directed learning experiences, and during both free play indoors and outdoors.

Our Approach to Guidance

• We develop consistent, clear rules in conjunction with children and discuss these rules to ensure understanding.
• We stress respect for the rights of others, and we work toward the children’s internalization of control; that is, toward their ability to govern themselves and to construct for themselves the conviction that it is best for people to deal honestly and responsibly with each other. To promote this autonomy we encourage decision making and problem solving, and help the children to understand the logical and natural consequences of their actions.
• We feel that all discipline should be carried out with respect for the dignity and self-esteem of all those involved.
• Formalized parent-teacher conferences are held at the end of each academic semester to discuss children’s progress and development. Parents are always encouraged to communicate with their child’s teacher regarding their child’s development throughout the year.