The foundation of our philosophy stems from the work of Magda Gerber.  The Educaring®  Approach that she developed is based on putting respect into action to help raise authentic humans.  For more information on Magda Gerber's Educaring® Approach, classes (for parents and professional), please visit rie.org.  We consider our programs to be inspired by the Educaring®  Approach.   

We also recognize the positive attributes of many theories of education.  We continue to be inspired by Reggio Emilia, Montessori, and Waldorf for their aesthetically pleasing physical environments. 

Negotiations are the heart of human experience.
 
In our practice with young children we observed that we spent majority of our time negotiating with children regarding their needs, wants and interests.  Sometimes these negotiations included discussions of appropriate choices and conflict resolutions.  Other times it involved allowing children to implement their plans, reflect on the outcomes, and build on previous strategies.

Our practice embraces a play-based curriculum that focuses on kinesthetic experiences, positive guidance strategies, family style meals,  and developmentally appropriate play spaces.  More importantly, we have written plans for how we help crying children, guide children, support freedom of movement, and minimize interruptions to play.  
 
Our annual home visits enable us to connect with families in their home environments and provide customized support through dialogue and research-based information.  Bernice Weissbourd, an educator and an activist, once said, "Parents need all the help they can get. The strongest as well as the most fragile family requires a vital network of social supports."  Home visits are one way that we provide this support.
 
We write Learning Stories of children's play experiences to celebrate the growth and development of children and families.  Additionally, writing Learning Stories gives us opportunities as educators to reflect on our own practices with young children and fine-tune our practice. 

Click below and read about our intentional practices with young children.