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Welcome to Little Wonders Learning Center |
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We believe that it is important for a child to have experiences by himself/herself and with other children and adults in a safe, positive, accepting atmosphere where the child can explore the limits of their environment and individual abilities. Little Wonders Learning Center operates programs that are individualized in their goals and objectives; each program forming specific aims within the context of these principles: ¨ That the home is the most important factor in a child’s development ¨ That the dignity and worth of each child and family is important ¨ That loving, trusting and respecting each child makes that child capable of loving, trusting and respecting others. ¨ That each child should be helped to have a positive self-image ¨ That it is important to meet each child’s need for physical, social, emotional and intellectual growth. ¨ That children deserve a nurturing, safe and happy environment which promotes their natural curiosity and desire to learn. ¨ That children deserve to have teachers who are capable and caring and whose values enable them to be excellent role models. |
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Statement of Philosophy Reggio Philosophy At Little Wonders we believe passionately that learning should be an adventure. Your child’s experience is bounded only by his or her imagination and dreams. Our curriculum is inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, which encourages young children and their teachers to explore, question, and discover in a stimulating experience interest and ideas, research for further information, reflect on the experience and forms’ conclusions. Through this process, children develop confidence and independence with encouragement from parents, teachers and community members.
Note: No corporal punishment will be allowed on the Little Wonders Learning Center premises by parents or staff. The definition of this is the use of negative touching such as spanking, slapping, pinching, etc. No unusual punishment such as humiliation, ridicule, threats or coercion shall be tolerated.
Curriculum emerges from the children Our Reggio – inspired curriculum is flexible and emerges from children’s ideas, thoughts and observations. Children identify what they want to learn more about: worms, emotions, construction, reptiles, rainbows, or anything else that captures their interest and imagination. At the heart of the Reggio philosophy lies the belief that children are strong, competent, and born ready to learn. They are full of emerging ideas and creativity; they are not empty vessels waiting to be filled with knowledge. For all children, especially the younger ones, this process begins by developing trusting relationships. Teachers and children then begin to understand each others’ expressions of wonder, excitement, confusions and joy. Often, ones’ child’s excitement is spread to others in the room.
Children form their own hypotheses and try to answer their own questions. Caring, respectful teachers help them, learn to ask good questions and guide them towards answers, rather than answering their questions for them. Teachers also use the classroom and outdoor environments to provoke new experiences and inspire learning. Parents are encouraged to continue these conversations with their children at home, or to participate in the classroom as volunteers. Children Learn by Exploring Children learn more about the topics they have chosen by exploring the world. Sometimes this involves bringing the world into the classroom. Classes invite guests such as firefighters and scuba divers to talk with them. They create worm bins and animal habitat. Outdoors, children observe plants, animals, trees, the weather and hundreds of other things that capture their interests. Field trips to locations such as the Overture Center, Farmers’ market, fire station, airport and zoo are planned to help the children pursue their ideas. They also explore their interests in the art and music studios. Teachers observe, participate and document children’s experiences in order to make thoughtful decisions about how to develop curriculum. Children Collaborate and Build Relationships As children engage in topics that interest them, they learn to work together collaboratively and respectfully. Education is based on relationships, exchange and communication. Preschool of the arts offers many looping classrooms, where groups of children and teachers stay together for more than one year to build meaningful, deep relationships. Children Express their Learning through Arts Children express their thoughts and feelings about what they have learned through a variety of means such as art, music, language, dance and play. For example, a classroom studying birds made binoculars for “bird watching” in their classroom, built bird feeders, sang songs about birds, danced with cloth wings and drew their ideas about how chicks grow inside their eggs. Another classroom observed road construction on Science Drive, and then built models of construction vehicles.
Through the Creative Curriculum the children are introduced to a balanced program of interaction with friends in both Teacher-directed and Child –directed experiences. This is a researched based curriculum that includes Free Choice of time spent in learning areas, Group Time for creative movement, Music, Storytelling Dramatization and Indoor/Outdoor activities. Schedules will be posted in your child’s classroom. |
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Little Wonders Learning Center
(573) 517-0355 |