The Children's School recognizes that children learn best through direct experience. We practice a progressive philosophy based on the work of John Dewey by providing abundant opportunities for experiential learning—an active process that arises out of interactions among children, adults, and materials. Through hands-on activities, children are encouraged to learn to think, reason, question, and experiment in a nurturing and supportive environment.
At the core of our programs, self-directed play and exploration of materials allow for cooperative social interaction and support children’s construction of knowledge about the world around them. We work with children to understand their individual temperaments and styles of learning. Children are encouraged to directly contribute to their experience by making choices that will guide the day's activities, as opposed to only following teacher-directed projects.
Examples of Experiential Learning:
- Open-ended Materials: Children have abundant opportunities to explore a variety of open-ended materials including unit blocks for building, sensory tables for experimentation, paints for self-expression, and dress-up clothes/props for imaginative role playing. These materials can be used in multiple ways as opposed to having only one correct use. As children explore these open-ended materials they solve problems using multiple solutions as contrasted to rote or didactic learning.
- Mathematical Concepts: Children's constructions through hands-on play can foster a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. Building sculptures, construction with unit blocks and using concrete materials provide tactile and visual opportunities for seeing mathematical relationships. Children also have an opportunity to exercise mathematical thinking as they use measuring utensils in the sandbox, sensory table and to prepare food for snacks.
- Prosocial Play: We foster environments that invite natural interaction and inclusion rather than forcing partner or group activities. For example, common arts & crafts tables, and snack areas, sandboxes, and outdoor easels invite children to work together and gain skills in socialization. Large group games that allow children to participate in the way that they feel comfortable—either through active participation or close observation—are also common.
- Gardening Curriculum: Planting gardens is a favorite activity of our children and also an important learning experience. Through observation and interaction with the plants, flowers, herbs, and vegetables, children learn about the process of planting and nurturing a garden and observe this process as opposed to reading about it in a book.
- Arts and Crafts: Children have many opportunities to use a wide array of mediums to express themselves. Scrabble pieces can be used to spell their names and to support printing skills, while glue guns are available to build towers and machines and to support learning about concepts such as gravity, weight, and balance.