Approach to Learning

The Center takes a holistic approach to early childhood education, prioritizing trust-based relationships with caregivers as well as a wide range of activities that promote academic, emotional, physical and social development.

Children are placed in classrooms based on their age and participate in age-appropriate activities. Our Center uses The Creative Curriculum, which is comprehensive, research-based and approved for ages infant through preschool. It includes ongoing assessments and documentation of children’s progress, giving parents information about their children’s learning process.

The Center also gives parents a chance to be actively involved in children’s education through parent-teacher conferences, which occur twice annually and give parents feedback about their children’s progress.

We believe that all activities, especially play, facilitate some form of learning or development, and we view every part of the children’s day as an opportunity to teach them about their world.

The learning philosophy at CHDCC includes focusing on children's natural curiosity about their world, supporting children in discovering answers to their questions, and encouraging experimentation to find satisfying solutions to daily challenges. We focus on the process of learning rather than the production of correct answers.

Teachers support our children's learning by:

• developing a warm, trusting, and responsive relationship with each child

• sparking children's interest and curiosity about the world around them

• encouraging children's exploration and inquisitiveness

• guiding children in finding answers to their questions

• encouraging persistence and flexibility in problem-solving

• creating an environment that is conducive to taking age appropriate risks,

• experimenting creatively to solve problems and approach new challenges

Teachers support children's emotional growth and  development of social skills by:

• creating a safe environment with clear limits and expectations of behavior

• following through when children's behavior is disruptive, unsafe, or unkind

• allowing children to experience their emotions with a caring adult close by

• help children learn to identify, differentiate, and label their feelings

• acknowledging and validating children's feelings without judgment or dismissal

• helping children learn to express their emotions in ways that are safe, respectful of others, and effective toward get their needs met

• supporting the growth of children's feelings of competence and self confidence

• promoting a classroom atmosphere of cooperation instead of competition

• valuing understanding the viewpoints and opinions of others

• helping children see the effects of their behaviors on others and helping them take responsibility for their behavior by caring for others