Puddle Jumpers Educational Philosophy
It is my belief that children learn best through experiencing the world on their terms, and through play. I feel that children need time to just be kids- to imagine and explore, create and get dirty, sing and dance. I feel the goal of Early Childhood Education is not necessarily to have all children versed in their ABC’s and 123’s (even though most of the time they have this knowledge), but to prepare them socially and emotionally for the expectations they will experience in kindergarten.
I believe children benefit greatly from remaining with the same childcare provider from birth until they enter kindergarten. Further, I strongly feel that removing a child at age three or four from the home provider they have known since birth to put them in a “more educational center based setting” can actually be detrimental to the child: emotionally, socially and educationally. I firmly believe that children provided with a rich experience in a home setting will have the appropriate foundation to enter kindergarten ready to learn. And I firmly believe that Puddle Jumpers provides all of those opportunities.
In 2008 I partnered with local school districts and Child Care Resource to provide preschool educational opportunities that are aligned with Vermont’s Early Learning Standards under Act 62. This partnership supplies me with a Licensed Early Education Teacher who works with me three hours per week in exchange for the Act 62 funding. Children are assessed over the course of a year with the Teaching Strategies Gold Assessment System, and results of these assessments are delivered to your child’s receiving school district upon entering kindergarten. Parent/teacher conferences also take place twice during the school year to discuss child development.
I believe children benefit greatly from remaining with the same childcare provider from birth until they enter kindergarten. Further, I strongly feel that removing a child at age three or four from the home provider they have known since birth to put them in a “more educational center based setting” can actually be detrimental to the child: emotionally, socially and educationally. I firmly believe that children provided with a rich experience in a home setting will have the appropriate foundation to enter kindergarten ready to learn. And I firmly believe that Puddle Jumpers provides all of those opportunities.
In 2008 I partnered with local school districts and Child Care Resource to provide preschool educational opportunities that are aligned with Vermont’s Early Learning Standards under Act 62. This partnership supplies me with a Licensed Early Education Teacher who works with me three hours per week in exchange for the Act 62 funding. Children are assessed over the course of a year with the Teaching Strategies Gold Assessment System, and results of these assessments are delivered to your child’s receiving school district upon entering kindergarten. Parent/teacher conferences also take place twice during the school year to discuss child development.