Cuesta College Children's Center

Play is the greatest avenue for learning in early education. The curiosity, inventiveness and spontaneous energy of young children are sources from which a lifetime of learning should develop. The opportunity to participate in creative play is often limited to the early years and our objective is to provide as many of these experiences as possible. All children, regardless of ethnic background, race, color, religious beliefs, or family lifestyle are equal and are encouraged to participate in our non-discriminating environment.

Our teachers seek to create an environment for learning. During a typical day, each child spends time in individual and group activities, alternating quiet and active times. There are many kinds of learning:

* Creative expression: art, carpentry, painting, music and movement * Social relationships: small and large group activities and dramatic play * Communication skills: group time, reading aloud and sharing about the day * Early literacy & math: sorting and matching, letter and number recognition, writing, literacy and language experience * Math readiness and conceptual skills: cooking, block building, sorting and matching activities * Discovery, exploration and environmental/science, awareness: animals, nature, bugs and plants * Motor skills: movement, climbing, rhythm and dancing * Classroom visitors from the community can provide enriching experiences.

We believe All children have the right to feel good about themselves and it is the responsibility of all teachers to nurture the child’s self-esteem.

We believe That all our educational and guidance decisions for children must be based on our knowledge of child development.

We believe Each person is a unique individual and has his or her own needs. Each person has a right to meet this need in his or her own way and in his or her own time. However, one of the responsibilities of having rights is recognizing and respecting the rights of others.

We believe Everyone is entitled to feelings, “good” and “bad,” as well as the trial and error process that goes with feelings. It is important for people to understand these rather than deny them.

We believe In appreciating and supporting the close ties between the child and family and that children are best understood in the context of their family, culture, and society.

We believe Creativity, self-expressing and curiosity are expressions of individuality and should be encouraged to develop in all people.

We believe In helping children and adults achieve their full potential in the contexts of relationships that are based on trust, respect, and positive regard.

We believe Each child and family are due the respect for personal privacy demanded by professional ethics (see Laboratory Ethics).