MY PHILOSOPHY
The first five years of a child’s life are most pivotal to his/her overall development, which is my motivation in choosing to be an early childhood provider. During these years, play is the key to navigating these life lessons. We play hard and we have fun! I see the dangers in over-regimenting children; I am passionate about providing a structured but relaxed home environment.
Old-fashioned family values (honesty, respect, kindness, integrity) are developed during these first five formidable years of life. I am committed to instilling these values into their young hearts as they navigate through playing, cleaning, learning and developing relationships.
Learning core character values is best done through role-play. Research suggests that a child’s ability to make-believe is a powerful factor in their becoming innovative adults, so I create an environment where playing-pretend is safe. We dramatically read and act out stories, build fort kingdoms, imagine, explore the world on an exciting magic carpet ride, catch leprechauns, and watch for fairies in the back yard. Because Magic Carpet Daycare feels "magical", much of the free play-time here naturally progresses into make-believe play.
I am a passionate lover of music. Research suggests that an understanding and appreciation for music spills into many other facets of learning. I believe that every task is easier when done to a song. We play music, learn basic music fundamentals (I teach a fabulous music program from infancy), dance, and sing often, and I hope to spread my love of music.
Discipline should be kind, consistent and predictable; I have a gentle approach to discipline and believe in positive reinforcement and redirection. The goal of discipline is to help children build their own self-control, which will build their own self-confidence. These are magic years for learning cause and effect/natural consequences. When properly guided, children naturally grow into responsible adults.
I believe in a magical childhood and I believe in fun. We have plenty of adult years. Childhood is short and should be full of snuggles, play, and childishness. Learning should be exciting and we will explore much here together. I have a gift for framing lessons in an exciting manner that peaks the interest of all kinds of learners. I integrate mathematics, letters, reading readiness throughout playtime. I teach a formal preschool program, but I do not push academics (table learning) until I see signs of readiness. Pushing this step too early usually backfires. I love messes. We will make many. Come in play clothes.
