The Reggio Emilia Philosophy is an innovative and inspiring approach to early childhood education, which values the child as strong, capable, and resilient; rich with wonder and knowledge.
We recognize the guidelines of the State of Michigan Department of Education while incorporating the Reggio Emilia influence that recognizes that child-directed play is a wonderful opportunity for learning. We concentrate on the top readiness skills as outlined by Ellen H. Parlapiano in Parent and Child. They are – Enthusiasm for learning, solid oral-language skills, the ability to listen, the desire to be independent, the ability to play well with others, strong fine-motor skills, and basic letter and number recognition. We also concur with her statement,- “Raising an eager learner is the goal, and it can be achieved easily through play and day-to-day activities”.
Building Blocks Preschool approaches early childhood education by adhering to Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP). This means that we provide an environment and offer content, materials, activities, and methodologies that are both age-appropriate and individually appropriate for each child.
In a bird project, the children are intrinsically interested in reading, drawing, and writing.
There are seven “domains” referred to by our expert teachers in developing programs that enhance students’ development and readiness for kindergarten and beyond. These domains are the deep foundation for what kindergarten readiness experts call “setting the stage” for kindergarten. In keeping with the time-honored theory, -“you have to learn to walk before you can run”, these developmental steps are crucial to providing the foundation by which children will eventually be able to absorb the reading and writing skills that will be taught in kindergarten.
“Both younger and older children benefit when different ages mix. The older ones take responsibility for the younger ones. The young ones look up to and emulate the older ones. Everyone seems to act more mature. Both younger and older rise to the occasion.”- Sal Khan, Founder of KhanAcademy.org
- Cognitive
- Social – Emotional
- Fine Motor
- Gross Motor
- Self Help
- Creative Play
- Language