Exploring, experimenting and discovering... preschool and pre-kindergarten children are active learners, full of questions and enthusiasm for learning about the world around them. Through their work and play, children develop skills that promote life-long learning.

The preschool and pre-kindergarten environment is a lively, hands-on learning community that gives children the opportunity to become self-directed learners, working independently or with a small group of friends. The classroom is designed to foster learning through exploration and discovery. It is a place where children can feel comfortable and are welcome to be a child, asking questions, forming ideas, solving problems, uncovering the secrets of their worlds. Children are encouraged to practice skills and explore materials that are interesting to them. The classroom is organized into different learning centers. Each learning center is filled with engaging materials and necessary tools for children to experiment with new ideas and apply skills they have already mastered. Teachers and children work together to select interesting and challenging materials to explore concepts through art, math, construction, science, dramatic play, and language. Children help teachers plan activities to extend the concepts that are presented in the curriculum.

"Tell Me a Story" is a language-based approach to learning using children's literature as the foundation for developing curriculum. Concepts and activities emerge from the information and ideas presented in a particular story and incorporate the interests and experience of the children in the group. Children learn about things that are meaningful to them: things they can touch, look at, talk about, or experiment with. Studying families and communities through geography, history, culture and traditions help children share their own experiences and foster self-esteem while developing acceptance and appreciation for the way people live. Exploring the natural world of plants and animals and experimenting with water and air help children develop an understanding of things that live in their world. Observing changes in the seasons and in their bodies help children learn about growth and change. A concept or theme may be investigated for three days, three weeks, or even three months. Children and teachers work together to document and record the learning that takes place and reflect that learning in such ways as curriculum webs, personal journals, group projects and classroom displays.

Preschool and pre-kindergarten children develop skills and understanding that create a strong base for continued learning. Through their work and play children learn the core concepts they will need to succeed in elementary school and beyond. Curriculum and learning experiences are developed with the goal that each child will have the necessary tools to be prepared to meet future challenges, incorporating the Guidelines for Preschool Curriculum Experiences, which is based on the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Our program is child-centered and developed in accordance with the guidelines for developmentally appropriate practice as defined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.