Curriculum

Play-based and individualized. Child negotiated places the learning of each child at the center of the instructional process, rather than an immutable body of knowledge. Attainment and improvement goals for each child are clear and unwavering, but children are allowed to progress toward them at an individual pace and with their own unique strengths and learning styles. Learning is the constant and time is the variable, rather than the reverse priorities that are so commonplace in schools.

Learning Environments

Louis Torelli has been working with children and environments for the past 30 years. His insights are invaluable and use very simple observations to arrange physical spaces of children within a learning environment. The way a learning space is set up has an effect on a great number of dynamics, including how children interact with one another, how teachers interact with the children, ands how staff members work together. During his time teaching, Louis paid particular attention to the layout of each classroom that he worked in. He would reconfigure spaces and utilize furniture based on his daily observations. It was from these first experiences as an infant and toddler teacher that he truly came to recognize and understand the impact of the physical environment. Since 1979, he had worked with many teachers in many early childhood centers, including Early Head Start programs, and observed how inadequate facilities continue to be an obstacle to providing high quality services. In poorly designed environments, well-intentioned staff members experience ongoing frustration because they find themselves spending a great deal of time “managing” the children in order to avoid problems, which leaves less time for building emotionally supportive relationships and providing optimal learning experiences. Inadequate classrooms force teachers to act as magicians, entertainers and disciplinarians-not leaving enough time to be educators. Children need spatial boundaries to help direct their movements, and safe spaces are needed for younger infants to explore and move about freely. I have taken care to understand and appreciate Mr. Torelli’s useful observations, and have incorporated them into this program.