Seeing each child’s individual uniqueness
Small World’s program is designed to foster self-esteem, self-confidence, competence in self-help skills and those inner controls and language abilities necessary for effective social interaction. We stress the process of learning and discovery rather than the product. We encourage children to feel good about themselves as a consequence of their achievements.
Our daily activities for Nursery age or Preschoolers are designed to provide an environment rich in materials to explore, manipulate and talk about. Children are guided to question, experiment, think and reason. No single area of development in stressed above another.
At Small World, we believe that the developmental approach of hands-on learning, interaction with others and materials, problem solving and individual learning establish a learning environment that stimulates the child in all developmental areas: physical, social, emotional and cognitive.
An important part of our approach is introducing children to the right activities at the right times. We introduce children to new skills and concepts when they are developmentally ready, making learning fun and natural. At Small World, we know that every age is a special time for a child and how important it is for children to explore life at their own pace, to feel comfortable with themselves and their environment.
As a result, we designed our programs and activities to fulfill each level of growth. We have prepared specific goals for each level (Nursery or Preschool) to help assess each child’s progress and development. When children are emotionally, socially, physically, intellectually, and creatively ready, they are challenged with an advanced developmental program.
Nursery/Preschool
Each age level has specific goals in each area of development: emotional, social, physical and cognitive. While all children progress through these predictable and typical sequences of growth and change, each child’s rate and pattern of growth differ. Matching the “typical” with the “individual” is the focus of our effort.
Behavioral Management
Shaping the individual with positive nurturing
At Small World we seek to build the child’s self-esteem by helping them develop self-control and responsibility for their actions. We do not use physical punishment as a means of discipline.
To minimize the need for disciplining action, a few simple, understandable rules are established. These rules set the limits of behavior for the safety and protection of the children. Our staff is firm, supportive and consistent in their approach. Our goal is to help each child achieve self-control.
Children are encouraged to use language to resolve conflict whenever possible or are redirected to an alternate activity or refrain from interaction with other children until he/she can regain appropriate control. Children rejoin activities whenever they are able to cope. In this way, children learn acceptable group behavior and develop positive techniques to solve their own problems.
