Philosophy ~
Young children are full of life, boundless in their energy and eager to learn. Young children challenge us, make us think, laugh and, most importantly, see the world through the eyes of a child. Children view the world differently from adults therefore they learn differently. Children progress through a series of fixed stages at a rate that is unique to the child. Development is a journey, not a race. Therefore, children benefit from the individual, measured pacing of the journey, not from achieving developmental milestones at the earliest opportunity. Our program offers a developmentally challenging, stimulating environment based on the interests and needs of each child. Children learn and grow in many ways. Our curriculum helps to build a strong foundation for a child’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive development by providing children with opportunities for learning through natural curiosity; direct hands-on exploration of the environment; through making choices; trial and error; and through modeling the adults in their world. Our goal for the children is to make it an exciting time of learning and discovery that translates into a life-long love of learning!
Educational Program ~
“Education is helping the child realize his potentialities.”
~ Erich Fromme
Children respond, excel and develop to their fullest potential when they are able to make choices that are rich and varied. Our goal is to offer each child a variety of opportunities for success, in order to promote social, emotional, physical and intellectual growth. The Creative Curriculum developed by Teaching Strategies Inc. and The Connecticut Framework ~ Preschool Curricular Goals and Benchmarks are used as guides in planning our curriculum.
A common statement made regarding early childhood programs is “All that the children do there is play!” In good early childhood programs, there is a lot of play – and, there should be! Every interaction with or between children is an opportunity. A conflict is an opportunity to teach problem-solving, negotiation and listening skills; an injury to another child is an opportunity to practice empathy; and, building with blocks is an opportunity to develop math skills, cause and effect and eye-hand-object coordination. Strengths are to be built upon; weaknesses are to be learned from and grown beyond. Children live up – or down- to our expectations of them! Therefore, our expectations for the children are high but not so high as to discourage children but rather encourage exploration, learning and a sense of accomplishment! Well-planned, meaningful learning centers allow for child choice, exploration and self-directed play, small groups and supportive teaching encourage children to build self-confidence and meet the challenges that confront them with success. Our staff members use their expertise to create, plan and adapt a curriculum that best serves the children in the program by providing them with a rich, stimulating environment in which to learn, play and grow into thoughtful, kind, productive youngsters. It is a terrific balance between learning and fun!
Curriculum that promotes optimal learning will include a variety of experiences for your child which include the following areas: arts and media; dramatic play; music; language; motor activity both small and large; language learning experiences; experiences that promote independent skills and self-reliance; health education practices; child initiated activities as well as teacher initiated activities; exploration and discovery; a variety of choices in materials and equipment; individual and small group activities; active and quiet play; rest, sleep or quiet activity; nutritious meals, snacks and cooking activities; and, toileting and clean-up.
Quality Care ~
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“Think left and think right and think low and think high.
Oh, the things you can think up if only you try!”
~ Dr. Seuss
For more information contact Kristen at childcare@sportsworld.cc.
