Wunderkind guides students to grow into caring, considerate and graceful members of society with a lifelong love of learning. The Reggio Emilia philosophy is built upon three pillars – the student, the teacher, and the environment – as an aid to life during the period of development when a child transitions from unconsciously absorbing their environment to becoming conscious absorbers.
A setting designed to be not only functional but also beautiful and reflective of the child’s learning. It is the child’s relationship with parent, teacher, and environment that ignites learning.
The Prepared Environment
It is an environment built for the children and it is theirs to care for. It is a sacred space designed with their growing needs carefully accounted for with a variety of learning materials built to refine the senses, develop a concrete understanding of abstract academic lessons like arithmetic and language, while also aiding the child’s journey to independence through built-in control of error.
By feeling secure, safe and confident in our classroom, students are able to explore and learn at their own pace and on their own terms – a radical difference from a traditional preschool environment where students are all expected to do the same things at the same time.
The Teacher as Partner, Nurturer, and Guide
Teachers are partners with each child on a learning journey. To know how to plan and proceed, teachers listen and closely observe children in the classroom. Through inquiry, they explore a world of learning together, while providing many opportunities for discovery.
PROGRAM GOALS
When a child has completed a year or so in our classroom he or she should be emotionally ready. They should be better able to express their feelings, ready for interactive play, have basic problem-solving techniques, and possess the self-help skills required to succeed and flourish in the next phase of their academic experience.