Early Childhood Program
"A
safe, compassionate place for kids to learn, grow, explore, and
have a great time."
Schedule
| The
ECP Environment |
Our Philosophy | Program Info
| Admission Info
Our
Philosophy/Our Curriculum
Each child is born
with curiosity and a desire to learn, and each child has his or her
own strengths, learning style, and rhythm. We work to get to know
the kids, then challenge them to advance according to their individual
needs, not according to group norms.

When children are allowed
to make meaningful choices they gradually learn to make good decisions
and take charge of their own learning. Learning is deepest when kids
are interested and engaged. We build our curriculum into the classroom
environment where kids choose from learning centers, activities and
projects that provide a rich variety of active, open-ended experiences.
These give hands-on exposure to topics such as math, language, geography,
art, and science. Materials are arranged in an accessible way to help
children learn to work independently and responsibly. As teachers,
we are there to support, encourage, inspire, observe, challenge, and
guide the children as needed.

Young children learn
best through an active exploration of the world using their bodies
and all of their senses. Play is a child's work! We provide long,
uninterrupted blocks of time and a rich, varied environment to stimulate
creative, imaginative, and active play experiences. We play and explore
nature outside year round, and enjoy music, movement, and active games
in the gym and dance room.
Developing self-regulation,
self-expression, emotional resilience, and positive social relationships
are primary goals during the early childhood years. Children learn
to be contributing members of society as they participate in a harmonious
community of learners. We work to establish a safe learning atmosphere
where the children build supportive relationships with adult caregivers,
where the feelings of others are respected, risk-taking is supported,
and problem solving is accomplished as a group. We also use enjoyable
rituals such as family meetings, songs, and reading together to build
a sense of belonging and camaraderie. We support and encourage positive
behaviors. When inappropriate behaviors occur, we apply limits firmly
and consistently, making sure the child understands why his/her behavior
is inappropriate and giving logical consequences. We provide abundant
opportunities for social interaction coupled with appropriate guidance
to build empathy, communication skills, as well as problem solving
and conflict resolution strategies.

It
is never too early for children to experience topics in depth, make
connections between the disciplines, gain an appreciation for cultural
diversity, and learn to view problems from multiple perspectives. We
often organize our curriculum around themes and projects, striving
to engage the children in authentic work on important topics. We also
read and discuss books with the children that address themes such as
community, cultural awareness, tolerance, and caring for one another.
Despite all of these serious goals, though, we also manage to have
a whole lot of serious fun!