Children are learning every minute of the day. They learn from the way we organize the classroom, from the daily schedule, from activities, and when they play outdoors.

The Classroom

Our classroom is set up for learning. Children have many opportunities to make choices, come up with ideas, experiment, and take responsibility for their work. Here's what you'll see when you visit.

• Materials are on low shelves, in containers, and on hooks so children can get them independently and put them away.
• Shelves are neat and uncluttered so materials are easy to see, remove, and replace.
• Picture and word labels are on containers and shelves so children know where materials belong and learn to use print.
• There are distinct interest areas--blocks, dramatic play, toys and games, art, discovery, library, sand and water, music and movement, cooking, computers, and different play spaces outdoors--so children know what choices are available and make decisions.
• A variety of learning materials are in each area so that no matter where children choose to play, they learn.
• Similar materials are grouped together to teach children to sort and classify--skills that are important to understanding and solving math problems.

The Daily Schedule

We want your child to feel secure and independent, to move from one activity to another as easily and confidently as possible. And we want to provide a variety of learning experiences for a well-rounded education. So we plan a daily schedule with these goals in mind. We follow this same schedule day after day. A picture schedule like the one below helps children feel secure because they know what comes next. This schedule works well for us. After a few months, children are amazingly independent. They tell us what they are supposed to do next!

Classroom Activities

When you visit your child's classroom, you see a room full of children playing. You may wonder what we are doing to help children learn. As children play, we watch how they use materials. We listen. We talk with them to find out what they are thinking and trying to do. We help children become aware of their actions, offer suggestions, and think about what materials to offer next. Then we challenge them to think further. This is how we encourage the development of skills children will need in elementary school. Here are some examples.

Outdoors

The time children spend outdoors every day is just as important to their learning as the time they spend in the classroom. Unless the weather is severe, we take children outdoors every day, often more than once.

Large muscle activities are essential for children's health and well-being. Too many children today are overweight. One reason is they don't get the large muscle activity essential for healthy development. Children need time each day to run, leap, hop, jump, slide, climb, and throw and catch a ball. These activities build strong muscles and a sense of pride. They are important for another reason as well. Brain research shows that physical activity actually wakes up the brain for learning.

The outdoors greatly increases our learning environment. is a natural setting for scientific investigations. Children find and study bugs and butterflies, plant seeds and watch them grow, and compare the feel of the bark on different trees. In some climates they notice the leaves change color and fall to the ground and learn about ice and snow. In other climates they learn how plants survive on almost no water. We talk with children about their discoveries and encourage them to continue investigating what they find outdoors.