Our curriculum is based upon established research on how young children learn best and is shaped by these guiding beliefs:
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Children learn best through play and hands-on learning activities that are developmentally appropriate.
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Preschool educates the WHOLE child. Our curriculum encourages the social, emotional, intellectual, and physical growth of each child.
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Children are naturally curious and capable of engaging in inquiry-based learning where they explore topics and big questions of their choice.
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Children need opportunities to move their bodies and engage in multi-sensory learning experiences.
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The environment is a teacher. Our indoor and outdoor classrooms are designed to facilitate rich learning experiences and explorations.
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Children deserve to be recognized as strong, capable, and full of potential in an environment that is warm, nurturing, and safe.
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Children must be met where they are. Teachers address each child's unique interests and needs in a developmentally appropriate way.
Our Philosophy in Action
Our philosophy is visible in everything we do. Walk into a classroom at the Co-op and you'll see children engaged in hands-on explorations, rich imaginative play, and inquiry based learning. Browse the slideshow below to see snapshots of our learning through play philosophy in action at the Co-op.
Children were presented with playdough, skewers, and a clementine and challenged to create a structure of skewers and playdough that would be strong enough to support a clementine.
What do children learn through play?
Our curriculum is aligned with the New York State Prekindergarten Foundation for the Common Core. Through our hands-on, play-based approach, children gain a foundation in mathematics, literacy, science, and art. They also learn social-emotional skills such as perseverance, problem-solving, interpersonal skills, and self-regulation that are so essential for their future academic endeavors. Click on the buttons below to learn more about what children learn through these staples of our preschool curriculum.
“I cannot say enough to praise the developmentally sensitive, creative and innovative preschool programs offered at the Co-op. In a culture of over-academic preschool programs, the Co-op encourages learning through play and exploration in an environment of safety and understanding of the individual needs of each child.”