Our Unique Approach

Learning Foundations

Children are born equipped to explore the world via their senses and bodies, as well as to acquire knowledge and skills via basic learning mechanisms. Prior to entering our program, children have developed unique personalities, learning styles, and interests. Our goal is to facilitate and strengthen this natural developmental process during the preschool and kindergarten years, with sensitivity to individual differences, so that each child will have solid foundations for effectively learning in elementary school and beyond.

Goals <-> Program <-> Assessment

We use developmental goals as a systematic framework for focusing our program and assessment design. Our teachers are well versed in a wide variety of educational approaches, and we choose teaching strategies, daily routines, classroom arrangements, and curriculum structure that will encourage each child's development. Teacher observations and documentation of individual progress are used to adjust the program to better challenge individual growth, as well as to conference with parents about ways we can work as a team to support each child.

Downloadable Publication by Dr. Carver

Six Basic Learning Goals

We have specified learning goals for 3, 4, and 5 year olds in each of the following categories.

1. Self-Esteem & Independence - encouraging each child's pride in individual characteristics, families, experiences, and accomplishments and each child's responsibility for personal care, actions, and words.

2. Interaction & Cooperation - promoting children's social skills for diverse adult and peer relations, including listening, turn-taking, following directions, rules and routines, group participation, care for shared materials, and conflict resolution.

3. Communication - facilitating comprehension and expression skills beginning with oral and progressing to written language.

4. Discovery & Exploration - fostering a positive attitude toward learning through questioning, observing, and experimenting with varied materials related to diverse themes.

5. Physical Capabilities - giving children opportunities to use their growing bodies to develop small and large motor skills and coordination.

6. Artistic Expression and Appreciation - cultivating each child's ability to express ideas and emotions through art, music, movement, and drama.

For a complete downloadable list of our Learning Goals for children ages 3, 4 and 5, Click Here

For a complete downloadable list of all our Assessments, Click Here.

Updated July 2005