Preschool is about each child.
“At Robert C. Parker School each individual child is known. The teachers are responsive to each child – they create activities that will support each child’s learning. Each child is encouraged to do his or her personal best, not in comparison to others. That is what makes Parker School so special and unique.” - Parent of Kelly, Pre K 3Preschool is about looking at the world from a child’s perspective.
“In a child’s reality, all activities and subjects are related, each representing a different way of looking at the world and trying to decipher its mysteries.” - JoAnn Bennett, Pre K teacherPreschool is about discovering.
John Dewey believed that true learning occurs through children’s experiences. We provide an extraordinary range of experiences so that each child will learn, grow, and thrive.Children explore the world through all their senses. By thwacking paper with a “paint sock,” a child hears, feels, and sees the artistic results. By running through the meadows and creek and stopping suddenly to watch a lizard or a hawk, children discover the natural world around them.
Children make sense of the world through play. While building a speedway with blocks or organizing a restaurant in the little kitchen, children discover laws of the physical world and of the social world.Children develop skills through thematic inquiry. “The earth’s bounties and how we use them” is a theme in the fall. Children listen to harvest stories, visit a farm, write invitations, and prepare a feast to share with friends and family. They discover real connections to reading, writing, and counting.
Children gain confidence through community. Singing in assembly lets children know they are part of the group. Taking responsibility for watering the school’s plants lets children know they are needed.At Robert C. Parker School, Preschool is about setting the stage for children to embrace learning with joy, and to care for themselves, their community, and their world.