learning through play Children learn through play. They do this by experimenting, observing, and participating with other children and adults.
Our teachers observe each child. They watch the children work with the materials and toys. Teachers prepare the environment to help each child build on what they already know. Here is what a child is learning as they play with the different materials, media, and toys. In the manipulatives and games interest center you may see your child working a puzzle or building with Legos. They are learning:
|
Hours: 6:30 am- 6:00 pm Mon-Fri 610-932-6700 
Our Philosophy Our program philosophy is based on the child development model which incorporates the theories of Piaget, Erikson, Vygotsky, and others. Learning through play is the cornerstone of the curriculum. At Bright Beginnings, we expose our children to a great variety of hands-on experiences. Painting, building, cooking and outdoor explorations can offer a depth of learning to the young child, particularly when her experiences are supported and extended by an attentive and skillful teacher. Most importantly, each child must be encouraged to learn at his own pace and in his own way. Our early childhood program gives every child the opportunity to excel and allows each individual to feel important and valued both for himself, and for the part he plays as a member of his classroom group. Young children learn by doing. Many children have a remarkable capacity for memorization. They can recite the alphabet and count from one to one hundred. However, for information to become truly meaningful to a young child, he must experience it concretely. Letters and written numbers are the symbols adults use to express ideas. When we stress learning the mechanics of letters and numbers in early childhood, it is often at the expense of learning the importance of expressing ideas. The symbols of written language and numerals are not as useful to children as they are to adults. Yet, children have important ideas. Our exceptional early childhood curriculum supports the child in learning many ways to express and refine those ideas. The child who sits down on her own to draw a picture or to write out a pretend shopping list is beginning to learn about symbols and writing more significantly than the three- or four-year-old who is asked to trace letters on a worksheet. The children who gather in the classroom library to look through books together or to listen to their teacher read to them are learning literacy on a deeper level than the children whose teacher drills them with flashcards. When a child sets the snack table with six cups for six chairs, he may begin to understand that the word or symbol “6” has a constant meaning whether applied to cups, chairs or children. Program goals Children are respected as individuals within a child-oriented environment. Activities are carefully planned and implemented daily. Our high-quality program sets the foundation for the successful transition to kindergarten and beyond.
Essential Early Literacy Skills Addressed:
|