Our philosophy of working with preschool children focuses on the importance of play. We believe that play is really the cornerstone of quality early childhood programs and that it is through play that children learn about themselves and their world. As teachers and parents, we need to take their play seriously and must provide a safe physical and emotional climate which allows children time to explore, experiment and problem solve. We believe that children learn by “doing”, so that children need lots of hands on, concrete experiences. As children also learn through their senses (touching, hearing, smelling, seeing and tasting) we need to provide experiences which capitalize on this mode of learning. As teachers (and we include parents in this term, as parents are indeed the child’s first and most important teachers) our role is to help facilitate the play environment where children can develop concepts as well as learn how to be independent. Most importantly play allows the child to develop positive relationships with other children and to negotiate his needs.
One of the most important variables in learning is the child’s concept of him/herself as a successful learner. How a child feels about him/herself and his/her capabilities are crucial in developing positive self esteem, which is at the very core of a child’s being. We believe strongly in a “whole child approach”, or that human growth and development are interrelated and intertwined, and that we must look at the strengths and needs in each area of development – physically, socially, emotionally, intellectually and creatively.
Finally, we must realize that each child is unique and special, with different family histories, different learning styles, different temperaments and all of these factors will affect the way we will teach any two children of the same age, in the same class.
