Kids Next Door

Kids’ Korner uses the emergent approach to preschool education. In the emergent approach to early childhood education, adults and children share control. We recognize that the power to learn resides in the child, hence the focus on active learning practices. When we accept that learning comes from within, we achieve a critical balance in educating young children. The adults role is to support and guide young children through their active learning adventures and experiences.

Through active learning, having direct and immediate experiences and deriving meaning from them through reflection, young children construct knowledge that helps them make sense of their world. Active learning depends on positive adult-child interactions. Mindful of the importance of providing a psychologically safe climate for young learners, we strive to be supportive as we converse and play with children.

Throughout the day, the teachers practice positive interaction strategies, sharing control with children, focusing on childrens strengths, forming authenticate relationships, and adopting a problem-solving approach to social conflict. The environment has a strong emphasis on planning the materials and centers for the children. Each center will contain a wide and plentiful assortment of easily accessible materials children can choose and use to carry out their intentions and ideas for play.

There will be child directed and teacher directed activities throughout the day. A consistent daily routine that supports active learning is very important. The routine enables young children to anticipate what happens next and give them a great deal of control over what they do during each part of their preschool day. We will have small group time and large group time each day. There will be daily assessment of the class and children to help teachers and parents support and build on childrens interests and strengths.

Academic workbooks and worksheets, which demand visual, motor and cognitive ability beyond preschool development create emotional stress and a sense of failure for most children, and do not lead to significant strides in learning. The whole child goes to school, not just the brain. A childs intelligence needs to be supported by the rest of development, using the childs potential for school success. Rather than pushed or hurried from one stage to another, children need to be prepared by experience for each major change.