The Country School

programme preschool and early years

where it all begins

early childhood education at its best

Children develop a sense of belonging as a member of a nurturing, collaborative community of young inquirers. An understanding of their own identity, voice and feelings leads to optimal development and learning, and the foundation is laid for life-long learning, self-regulation and well-being. Relationships between the aesthetically pleasing settings and teachers and families are valued as beneficial and essential components for learning, embracing cultural values and practices embedded in their social and physical environments.

Each child brings unique life experiences and orientations that are respected for their diversity, and every child is considered competent, and full of potential. Equity and inclusion are prerequisites for honouring children’s rights and the community that they inhabit. A planned pedagogical approach supports early learning processes through the organization of the physical space, materials, expressive languages, language and thinking skills, physical skills, as well as the foundational knowledge and concepts needed for later literacy and numeracy.

Purposeful play, an effective method of learning for young children capitalizes on children’s natural curiosity, joy and sense of wonder. Play is child-centered and engaging and helps children make sense of the world around them. Play enhances development in all the domains; physical, social, emotional, communication /language and cognitive.

We need to give the children full rights of citizenship in life and in society. It’s necessary that we believe that the child is very intelligent, that the child is strong and beautiful and has very ambitious desires and requests. This is the image of the child that we need to hold.

– Loris Malaguzzi

“The play’s the thing.” – Hamlet

The study of play has a long history: philosophers, historians, biologists, psychologists and educators from Plato to Piaget have concluded that play is central to learning, allowing children to imitate adult behaviour, practice motor skills, process emotions, and learn about their world. One thing play is not, is frivolous. Rather, both free play and guided play are essential for the development of social and academic skills, and research now confirms what Piaget knew all along, that:

“Play is the work of childhood.”

– Jean Piaget

To Sir Ken Robinson, three things come to mind when we talk about play: imagination, creativity and innovation. Imagination, he believes, is what fundamentally sets us apart from the rest of life on earth.

“We are embodied, we’re not just brains on a stick.”

– Sir Ken Robinson

On a practical level, free play and guided play help to foster sociability and confidence as well as the child’s ability to manage their own behavior and emotions, practice their negotiating skills, learn how to take turns, make friends, and get along with others.

In addition to social learning, free play and guided play also support academic achievement, and research shows that children in pre-schools that take a playful approach test better in reading, language, writing and math than those in a more teacher-directed environment, and that a more engaging and interesting atmosphere fosters better learning well into elementary school.

We understand that high-quality social and academic development requires high-quality environments, from the calming peace of a quiet space to the positive energy of a play space, each creating and supporting the other and, most important, the children.

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.”

– Mr. Rogers