Sequoia’s Treehouse Children’s Center uses child-centered Emergent Curriculum and Reggio Emilia as a basis for Learning Through Play.
Learning Through Play: Through play children develop social and cognitive skills, are able to mature emotionally, develop problem-solving skills, and gain the self-confidence to try new experiences and environments. Children’s play can be divided into the following:
Active play: Running, jumping, climbing, riding, and use of large muscles.
Quiet play: Reading, beading, coloring or activities that involve only one.
Cooperative play: Games and activities that involve more than one.
Manipulative play: Puzzles, blocks, cutting and pasting, or activities that involve activities in which one expresses them self creatively.
Creative play: Painting, problem solving, dance, music, storytelling, or pretending.
Dramatic play: Dress-up, playing house, or any activity that involves eye-hand coordination or fine motor muscles.
schools emphasize creativity and artistic representation. www.reggioalliance.org
Emergent Curriculum is a way of planning curriculum based on the student’s interest. Child-initiated projects and exploration of topics suggested by students may last a day, month or all year.
Reggio Emilia is based on the principles of respect, responsibility, and community through exploration and discovery in a supportive and enriching environment based on the interests of the children through a self-guided curriculum. Reggio Emilia with Teachers focused on teaching Social/Emotional learning along with our self-motivated early learning environment, we provide a loving, nurturing atmosphere where children thrive. Working in partnership with parents, we focus on the whole child and strive to engender a genuine love of learning in everyone.
We Document and Evaluate the children’s work by discerning how and what the children are learning by observing them in the context of their play and our typical daily routines. The children’s work is documented through Floorbooks which are accessible to the children and their parents at all times. Through use of a Floorbook practitioners can document progression of the individual and the group and create Possible Lines of Development (PLODs) which will allow for future lesson planning.
