MY PROGRAM - A GENTLE PLAYSCHOOL

  Our days at A Nest in Nature can be described as a gentle playschool, deeply involved with nature, animals and the arts . The children learn by DOING, experiencing the world first hand.

  My program takes into account the *whole child* and the realization that children are learning at all times, in everything that they do.  Play is their work and I take a cue from the children on what we delve deeper into.  Learning is so joyful when it has meaning for the child.

  We live by the principle of RESPECT for all, and learn to embrace our differences, for everyone has something to give. And there is always allowance for flexibility and choice in all that we do.

  A Nest in Nature is a Home, kid-friendly, casual and comfortable. There are separate areas for different kinds of play, but  I want to maintain the *home* feel and connection for the children while they are here and away from their families. There are many years ahead to be in a more formal settings.

  You will not see all we have to offer for I rotate the things we have and feel it important to keep open space and non-cluttered areas to ease the mind, as well as the body, giving more room to use the things we do have out. Each week something new will be put out to excite and delight and for the children to discover.

  Some areas stay basically the same, the Pillow Nook which can be used for reading or anything the child wants, the Block area with blocks and manipulatives easily accessible to the low table and long, wide wooden windowseat, the Drama area with mirror, dress-up clothes and props for pretend play, the Writing area with assorted art supplies and papers ,The Nature table with our specials finds. In each of these areas, new things will be added and others rotated on a regular basis.

This is what you can expect for your child at A Nest in Nature:

-They learn vocabulary from the rich, quality literature we read.

-They fine tune their observational skills by exploring and discovering nature among our woodlands, wetlands, pond, ridge and meadow, field trips, and our monthly Picture Study of great artists work.

-They increase their fine motor coordination with manipulatives, puzzles, legos and art work that we do.

- They increase their large motor skills with daily outside play, nature walks, dance and yoga.

-They learn to have reverence for the earth and an increased awareness of how each individual can do their part for the world , by learning and observing firsthand what wildlife need to survive and what we can do to help. and they do it. They reuse and recycle, and use natural and organic methods in their daily lives.

-They learn, with hands-on experience, how to take care of other living beings, our animals. and most importantly, why we do the things we do for them.

-Their imagination is fostered through dramatic and pretend play, and through fairy tales. poetry and classic children's literature.

-Their awareness of health and nutrition is increased by taking an active part in food preparation, dividing up and putting away food from the food co-op, trying new foods, planning and planting our organic gardens, and picking and canning the harvest.

-The social skills of co-operation and tolerance are fostered by an environment of respect and working together and realizing we are all different, yet we all have something to give, and to appreciate the uniqueness of each person.

-Their patience is increased as they work on art and other projects that aren't finished quickly in a day, and as ongoing chapter books are read to them, as well as taking turns and waiting until a child is finished speaking before they express their own thoughts.

- Their problem-solving skills are sharpened as we work out differences and brainstorm together how to make life more joyful and the steps needed to get there, and make decisions on future projects and field trips.

- Math skills are learned by playing games, counting, sorting, doing puzzles, building, cooking and baking, finding patterns in nature and architecture, pretend play and problem-solving.

-Reading skills are learned by being read to daily, playing games, observing labels and signs in our Nest, and having a vast supply of books to use at will.

-Writing skills are learned by drawing, coloring, doing mazes, copying and tracing, and having many different medium and papers to use.

-Awareness of the world around them is increased as we learn about children in different countries through books and videos and plot them on our world map.

-Science and scientific skills are learned through our on-going science experiments, nature walks and nature journaling.

-Creativity is fostered through their every day play, and the many different art techniques the children are exposed to, props and costumes for pretend and dramatic play, and the time to make connections on their own and in their own way.

-Self-worth and confidence is increased as each child learns to do more for himself and for each other in each of our days.

-Safety is stressed in all that we do, inside and outside, in addition to keeping safe by keeping healthy. through handwashing, brushing teeth, and proper nutrition, etc.

  The ultimate goal is to expose children to the world, increase their love of learning, making learning joyful by living life to the fullest, and to value their voice and their choices with respect for the unique and wonderful people they are, who will be more than ready to go forth into their days ahead.