Learning Through Play
Beliefs and Teaching Principles
Honeydew
believes that children:
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Were born perfect and our role is to help them retain that as they grow in our society.
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Are unique individuals and our job is to help them get to know who they are
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Learn best when they lead
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Grow best when they are balanced in their development
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Feel best when they are heard and given space to go through their emotions
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Move best when they are allowed to safely challenge themselves physically
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Listen best when they are looked in the eye and are spoken to with a calm gentle voice
Honeydew gathers from many influences as we have been developing
and changing since 1999. We strive to grow with the times, the community, and the families we serve. Our curriculum influences are:
Teaching
Principles
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Creative Curriculum - Child-centered learning through play.
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Reggio Emilia - to bring the natural elements and processes in our classrooms
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Emergent Curriculum - to build themes around the children’s interests
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Summer Nature Curriculum - our very own version of the Forest School, Waldorf, and Chinese Anji Play
Social-
emotional principles
and tools
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Pyramid Model - evidence-based practices for promoting children's social and emotional development and preventing challenging behaviors.
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Flip -it - a strategy that offers a simple, kind, strength-based, commonsense and effective process to address children's day to day challenging behaviors
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Kimochi Socioemotional Dolls and Books - A classroom-based program that promotes social and emotional learning by teaching children the skills to understand their emotions,
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CLASS - a way of teachers interacting with children every day to cultivate supportive, structured, and engaging classroom experiences.
As professional educators, we are always observing the children and assessing their growth and development. We share these findings with the parents regularly so that we can all be a team in raising a whole child, These are the assessments tools we use:
Assessments
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Ages and Stages Screening Tool - a look at each child’s developmental milestone
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Teaching Strategies - a formative assessment of the children in each developmental domain: cognitive, gross and fine motor, social emotional and verbalization/literacy.