Education Philosophy
St. Paul’s Lutheran Preschool is firmly committed to promoting the healthy development of each child in our school. We take a ‘global’ approach to learning, and focus on the growth of the whole child. We know that the physical, moral, emotional, cognitive, and social development of each and every child are of equal importance.
Our primary goal in working with the children is to promote positive self esteem. Every child needs to feel loved and secure, and to feel comfortable with the adults, children, and surroundings. Our job is to provide a safe, secure, and Christian environment in which every child can explore and learn with the support and guidance of a caring adult.
Our approach to learning stresses growth in the following areas: fine motor skill, social and emotional maturity, eye-hand coordination, gross motor skills, independence, task completion, attention span, and listening skills. These skill areas lay groundwork for learning that will last a lifetime, and promote educational success.
The best way to make children good is to make them happy.”
Oscar Wilde
Our curriculum highlights all of the developmentally appropriate areas for each age group. Areas of focus include math, language, science, self-help,social skills, art, and music and movement. Several basic and important principles form the cornerstone of our curriculum: Children learn through active exploration. Our program is activity based. We offer a vast array of activities that are designed to encourage children to actively explore and manipulate the wide variety of materials we provide for them.
Children initiate their own learning. Our classrooms are divided into carefully structured activity areas. During a large part of the day, children explore freely while supported and guided by teachers. Our staff is trained to find ways to give children choices and help them make their own decisions. Learning comes from open-ended experiences. We strive to develop children’s imaginations, reasoning skill, and self-confidence by emphasizing creative problem solving. The emphasis is on the discovery or learning process, not merely on being “right.”
Adults are facilitators of children’s learning. Our teachers ask a lot of questions and encourage children’s discussion. They are trained to create learning environments that support natural curiosity and a desire for learning.
St. Paul’s Lutheran Preschool is committed to helping each child fulfill his or her potential, and grow to be a healthy, secure, and loving individual.
