Creative World School Land O' Lakes

Education: Thinking + Questioning = Learning The field of early childhood education is fairly new and continues to develop as we learn more about how young children learn. Every parent knows that their young child while amazingly brilliant thinks and learns differently than they do as an adult. Still many programs try to educate young children in ways that are more suited to adult learners. Academic programs that rely on rote learning and expect children to memorize and practice drills are actually reminiscent of the way our grandparents were schooled.

At Creative World our teachers have high expectations for young children but recognize that they learn in unique ways and use techniques that are tailored for the age and ability of the child. Instead of attempting to cover skills we integrate them daily into our curriculum. We engage children’s intellect by focusing on how children learn and process information. Their questions become the basis of our teaching and through investigating questions and continuous assessment children become lifelong learners. Weekly children participate in experiences that promote their cognitive social and physical development. Instead of merely considering a checklist of accomplishments we combine experiential activities and interesting content to educate every child to their potential.

Exploration: Hands-On Discovery of Our World Our curriculum values the child and the teachable moment by creating opportunities for children to explore in different ways. We incorporate open-ended engagements to allow space for children to wonder to be curious to problem solve and to experiment with their world. Open-ended materials are full of potential and different uses and allow children to engage with them in a variety of ways. It is the unintended draw of the cardboard box over the toy inside. The box can be a tunnel a car or something to push and pull. As children are exploring our teachers are there as facilitators observing extending their play and planning how to use their exploration to further their learning. Incorporating child directed explorations maximizes children’s interest reduces their frustration and helps them develop important social skills as they interact with their peers and their teacher.

Enrichment: The Spark That Inspires Imagination An essential component of our approach is the way we add value to children’s learning through enrichment. Children’s curiosity is sparked by the ways our teachers add new experiences to their environment and new content to their understanding of the world. Anyone visiting our schools is immediately amazed by the organization of our classrooms and the variety and amount of equipment and educational opportunities the children have available to them. Each week we build on this foundation by bringing in new materials and opportunities so there is something new to discover. Enrichment allows us to offer children new invitations that extend on their interests and the content of their learning.