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Our Philosophy

 


In todays busy world, children need unhurried time to "just be kids and have fun".  The preschool years are a precious time in their lives, where their needs for love and acceptance, play and exploration, and making new connections are our priorities.

The Playhouse uses The Creative Curriculum which is based on several accepted theories of child development and current research.  This curriculum follows developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) which is defined as giving children opportunities to learn and practice newly acquired skills, challenging them just beyond the level of their present mastery.  The Playhouse becomes their learning community.  An important component of our curriculum is the family.  We want to get to know all the family members, including pets, and encourage parents to linger during arrival time checking in with the teachers and playing with their child.  As the parent-teacher relationship grows, the child's trust and security blossoms and more energy can be focused on learning and discovery.  We use our knowledge of the stages of development and child observation to set up our learning centers.  The children's interests guide our choice of materials and activities.  The teachers and parents become partners in their child's development.

Our classroom is divided into approximately eight learning centers:
   - Art which includes crafts, play dough, writing, easel work
   - House for pretend play and dress up
   - Blocks and Building
   - Math, Alphabet, Board games
   - Reading corner
   - Dramatic play (theme changed monthly)
   - Science which includes a water and sensory table (changed monthly)
   - Music and movement
   - Playground, spacious and fenced in

The children are encouraged to follow their interests and make choices during free play time.  We maintain a balance of child directed and teacher directed activities throughout the day.  As they visit the different areas, they are practicing many of the basic skills that prepare them for kindergarten.  They're exposed to letter recognition and printing, counting and number comparisons, listening and reading comprehension, observing and questioning during science time, making friends and taking turns, and developing their gross motor skills on the playground.