Educational Philosophy 

We believe that the early years in a child’s life are truly significant in the development of a child. Through careful and thoughtful planning of the learning environment and hands-on experiences, children are involved in activities which stimulate and motivate their interest and academic growth. We support and encourage our staff to continue to develop their skills and knowledge in early childhood education. We encourage parents to actively partner with us as your child attends our program. We provide opportunities for children to interact with a wide range of materials and with each other through play. Social skills, such as getting along with others and working in a group are a focus of our program. One of our main goals is for children to be well-prepared for kindergarten and for later life experiences – and most of all – to enjoy their first school experience! 

Curriculum Approach 

Instructional Methods for an early childhood program take into consideration the interactions of the teacher and child, the child and other children and the child and materials. Instructional methods include not only direct instructional methods through individual, small-group and whole group teacher-led experiences, but the social interactions, purposeful, planned play and art experiences available. A literacy-rich learning environment where children observe writing being used daily is a key component to the classroom.  

Our learner outcomes/objectives for our Preschool 3s and Pre-K4s classes are aligned with the State’s prekindergarten and kindergarten curricular frameworks, also known as the Maryland College and Career Ready Standards. For the Preschool 2s, the outcomes align with Healthy Beginnings: Supporting Development and Learning from Birth through Three Years of Age. 

Play is the primary vehicle of learning for the young child. Play allows the child to experiment, explore and manipulate their environment, while developing imagination and creativity. Engaging in symbolic play allows a young child to express their thoughts and ideas, practice and rehearse new roles, and test out newly acquired knowledge and skills. Young children construct knowledge based on their real-life experience; they learn by doing. Children increase their knowledge of the world through repeated interactions with people and materials. Our classrooms are designed to encourage children’s active exploration with adults, other children, and materials. A typical daily classroom routine includes a mix of direct instruction and opportunities for children to choose their own activities. Children will work individually, in small groups, and as part of a large group. The use of work sheets and drill instructional practices is avoided, with instruction being integrated across traditional subject areas, within classroom learning centers to provide a meaningful framework for active learning.