Our Approach: Partners in your child’s care
At Auburndale Community Nursery School, we feel strongly that the positive learning experiences for the children in our care work best when teachers and parents work together. Both at home and in school, children need to be exposed to a warm, supportive environment, opportunities for success, a variety of activities, and above all, the chance to become actively involved in their own learning process.
Our early childhood program is carefully designed by our wonderfully talented and knowledgeable staff to help each child develop confidence in themselves and their abilities to explore the learning-rich environment offered at ACNS. In order to assist each child in their development of skills in the motor, social and cognitive areas, the children are grouped along developmental lines. These groups are then provided with stimulating and inventive activities, allowing for optimum creative and individual expression. Our program also allows the children to experience the richness of many cultures and develop an appreciation of the world around them.
Our program includes Language Arts, Music, Art, Drama, Gross Motor Activities, Science, Readiness Skills for Reading and Math, and Free Play. To complement these activities, the children take part in cooking activities, storytelling, and special events. We strive to provide the best program for your child and, at the same time, serve as a resource and support to families and their varying needs.
Our Priorities – a philosophy statement
Have you ever heard someone remark about an early childhood program – even ours, perhaps: “All the children do there is play.” There is a lot of play in good early childhood programs, and there should be!
Years of research on children’s learning and development document the many benefits of play for children’s intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and language development. Children at play are actively involved in creating themes, exploring and establishing environments, solving problems, and developing shared understandings.
Here at ACNS, our children play in many ways. They play independently, sometimes near each other but with each child engrossed in their activity. They engage in “parallel play,” perhaps using each other’s toys or even talking, but not coordinating their play. They also play cooperatively, organizing roles and scenarios for group play. As they get older, children are capable of more cooperative play. But all kinds of play are valuable.
As the children in our classrooms play with each other, they learn to see other children’s points of view and begin to become more empathetic and caring. They come to understand customs and rules in their own culture and appreciate those of others. They learn to use language in new ways to describe their play and interact with others. And in play, children develop their muscles and coordination.
The teachers support children’s play by providing space, opportunity, and materials. We set up areas where children can play without fear of damaging furniture or injuring themselves. We make sure that they have the time to choose and become engaged in their own play activities. And when we provide them with simple, interesting materials – no newfangled, expensive gadgets required – children take it from there.
Play is fun, but it is also serious business that pays big dividends to its eager, young investors.
The children at Auburndale Community Nursery School play and do so much more!
Barbara Sullivan, Tasha Sullivan, and Eileen Healy
ACNS Directors