We believe that children learn through play, concrete experiences, and interactions with their environment, their peers, and adults. Using individual, small, and whole-group activities, plus a variety of experiences which encourage children to develop to their full potential. The purposes of early childhood education are to develop positive social skills and appreciation with respect for differences in all people including backgrounds, physical characteristics, developmental level, and family groupings. This also includes the development of confidence and self-esteem while promoting independence and self-discipline. We believe that children learn best when placed in an active learning environment that is child-centered, characterized by highly qualified teachers, low group size, and developmentally focused classrooms.

The curriculum of any classroom should include certain “basics” that contribute to a child’s social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development. These basics are available in stations set up in the classroom that lend to enhance the child’s natural curiosity. Centers such as art and music would be set up with an easel, an array of coloring and painting options, and an assortment of mediums to cultivate creativity. The building center would be set up in a way that children would have wooden and other materials to engineer the tallest towers or car tracks to take them far away from their troubles. Clipboards are placed around the room with blank papers attached so the children would be able to write or draw their observations. The classrooms have labels applied on surfaces to give letters meaning as they go to the window and see the word “window” provided on a card. Desires stir as they see the joy in the teacher’s eye the first time they attempt to form letters and not humanoids on a sheet of paper. Outdoor space is craved by their young minds and is essential to the basics of early childhood education. Giving them authentic experiences by taking a short walk around the school or having a picnic at a local park. The children can discover textures and smell they may have never known before. Students will acquire fine and gross motor through such experiences.

Following Friedrich Frobel, we believe to be like gardeners caring and tending to the garden of children in our care. We can do this with play stimulating their Erik Erikson like sections of cognitive and creative skills in literacy, language, math, science, art, and social studies appropriate for the developmental level.

Students will be encouraged to learn through natural consequences and there give them confidence in decision making and independence, self-discipline, self-esteem. If a spill is made, they are to clean it up. After lunch, they are to scrap their plates and put them in the sink. Responsibility for their own actions is important in personal development and a mantra Maria Montessori utilized in the Casa de Bambini. Children learn best in an environment that promotes learning. Features of a good learning environment are highly qualified teachers, low group size, and developmentally focused classrooms. The available material is varied and current with books in every part of the room and outdoors. The teachers look to the child for inspiration and then formulate lessons to prompt their current interests. Knowing that not all children learn at the same pace or even that of the same interest is thoroughly discussed and written in the education plans developed between the teachers and agreed upon by the parents. Having field trip opportunities will expand their minds to the availability in their community to learn and engage outside of the walls.

All children have certain basic needs that must be met if they are to grow and learn at their best. Some of these basic needs are that of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs that first we must meet their physiological needs than safety and love/belonging. If a sweet but malnourished friend comes into our school, I will first give them sustenance before expecting them to write their name. I know that feeling “at home” and safe is essential to their zone of proximal development! I can be a factor to help them get closer to their potential with a hug and kind words that that of just feeding their brain to learn the alphabet. We meet these needs by requiring teachers to give individual time and attention to each student in our care. These teachers are to ask and observe how the students crave attention and interact with others. “Special Time” is given where no other student is to interrupt each student thereby giving them a time to feel fully heard and loved to discuss what is on their hearts.

A teacher should have certain qualities and behave in certain ways. Qualities, we think are important for teaching include attention, couth, cheerfulness, and eagerness to share their love of learning with others. Students with special needs often require adaptations in instructional practices to meet their needs. Some strategies we can use to help me teach children with disabilities include spacing the room out to allow wheelchair accessibility, resourcing with our local CCR&R’s Special Needs Consultant. They are available to visit our facility, if the need arises, and to make recommendations to help the center or home modify the classroom.

Early childhood professionals work with children and families from diverse cultural backgrounds. There are many ways you can provide for children’s learning styles while responding appropriately to diversity. Modifications that can create a more culturally responsive learning environment include materials in the classroom such as books, puppets, and dramatic play implements. Celebrating differences in culture with holidays and festivities create awareness of others not in their race, ethnicity, religion, language, or economic status. Above are many examples of how my philosophy of early education has been formed by the founders. In addition to their formulated thoughts and feelings on the subject, a great teacher will continually learn and change how she best meets the needs of those she is privileged enough to encounter. We are in this to make a difference and will cease to stop learning so that we can be strong advocates for those small flowers in my garden!