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| For
Parents
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| Observing our Programs January 2002 Dr. Sharon Carver |
| Welcome Back!
I hope that your winter vacation was a pleasant time of family fun
and that you had an opportunity to reflect on the many ways that
your children have grown in the past year. During December, I had
the wonderful opportunity to observe each of our Children's School
programs and rate them according to the standards for quality early
childhood education developed by the National Association for the
Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The top priority for NAEYC
is "Interactions among Teachers and Children." I'm proud
to say that we have fantastic teachers at the Children's School!
They are genuinely interested, individually responsive, optimistic,
and encouraging. They actively seek conversation with and provide
encouragement to each of our unique children. It's amazing to see
how they flexibly adapt their approaches to the personalities and
needs of each child.
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| NAEYC ratings
are also done for Curriculum, Physical Environment, and Health and
Safety. The key word I use to describe our curriculum is balance.
The teachers offer a wide range of engaging activities that foster
skills in all six of our developmental goal areas (self-esteem &
independence, interaction and cooperation, communication, discovery
& exploration, physical capabilities, and artistic expression and
appreciation). We balance quiet and active experiences, teacher-led
and free-choice activities, and whole group and small group times,
while maintaining an appropriate range of challenge levels for the
diverse children in our programs. On the days I observed, children
worked at their own pace at the sand and water tables, the writing
center, computer activities, the block area, and many other learning
centers. Children were also learning new skills by working with
teachers on woodworking, cooking, staying balanced with their bodies
in different positions, painting with marbles and ice, re-enacting
stories, and washing pennies to better observe their properties.
Teachers facilitated the learning of individual children in many
ways, most notably at journal time, with self-care skills, and in
conflict resolution situations. During my observations, I was struck
by the care with which the staff prepares the physical environment
so that the children can function independently and that the space
is reflective of their interests. Throughout the day, teachers explicitly
emphasize safety with the children and vigilantly monitor activities
to minimize potential hazards. (Dr. Carver's broken wrist and purple
cast generated lots of conversation about safety!)
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| Another striking
aspect of my observations was noticing the ways we exceed NAEYC's
standards. Our team approach to teaching, with flexible groupings
of children and use of shared spaces is rare (and, consequently,
difficult to represent on their observation forms). The purposeful
curriculum structure underlying the comfortably open classroom environment
yields a very natural learning process for children at all levels.
Similarly, the level of sophistication and depth of theme-related
discussion at formal circle times and informally shows the incredible
potential of young children.
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In sum, the observation process was delightful because of the positive and constructive activity guided by our staff. We welcome you to observe the learning process at the Children's School any time. We think you'll be similarly impressed! May you and your family experience renewed peace in 2002! |
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The Children's School, MMC 17, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (412)268-2199 Copyright 1999 Carnegie Mellon University |