At Seattle Learning Center, we incorporate multiple teaching philosophies into our school to create an educational, fun, and respectful environment. Our focus is to help children build social-emotional skills to become confident and respectful learners. By incorporating RIE principles, Montessori concepts, Positive Behavior Support methods, and Creative Curriculum, we feel that our center utilizes some of the best tools in early childhood education.
RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers)
Basic Principles
- Basic trust in the child to be an initiator, explorer, and a self–learner: It means believing in your child’s competence and supporting her authenticity. It is believing that whatever your child needs to know, she will learn.
- An environment for the child that is physically safe, cognitively challenging, and emotionally nurturing: It must be safe for your child’s protection and sense of security.
- Time for uninterrupted play: Children play beautifully on their own. They do not need to be taught how to play. Children work out their conflicts in play, which is connected to their readiness. Readiness refers to the ability to solve problems at each developmental stage. Uninterrupted play promotes concentration and a long attention span. When we interrupt a child, we also stop what she is doing, whatever process she maybe in the middle of, as she focuses on us.
- Freedom to explore and interact with other infants: Children learn from each other and rules must be established and reinforced by supervising adults.
- Involvement of the child in all caregiving activities to allow the child to become an active participant rather than a passive recipient: Cooperation is encouraged during caregiving times. Invite the child to be part of the process.
- Sensitive observation of the child in order to understand her needs: Observing is the best way to tune in to your child. It helps you perceive and accept your child at her own developmental level and learn how to understand and respond to her needs.
- Consistency and clearly defined limits and expectations to develop discipline: Your child should know what is expected of her. Predictable routines reinforce discipline.
- RIE Website
Montessori
We will be using some concepts and activities based on the Montessori education philosophy. This is an educational approach developed by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori and characterized by an emphasis on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natural psychological, physical, and social development.
Creative Curriculum
Creative Curriculum is a thematic approach to teaching and learning designed to support children’s natural curiosity and stimulate their creativity. It offers children the opportunity to work in depth, giving them the time they need to reflect, consolidate and transfer their learning.