At the Lauren Wendroff Early Children’s Academy, we strive to find the balance between play and work. For many of our students, this is the first time they are in school; our goal is for them to have a positive learning experience that sets a strong foundation for the love of learning. Using thematic units, we are able to expose the children to new ideas in a classroom and community setting. Thema
tic units also encourage exploration of topics that may not always be covered at this age. Whether it is a sensory activity in the classroom or a walk in the park, we encourage all of our students and teachers to try to learn something new. When a class is covering a theme and the children find something they would like to explore in more depth, the class is able to dig deeper into that topic. This allows the class more freedom in learning and establishes a sense of ownership on their education. Literacy skills like reading and writing are focused on in great depths throughout the day. Early practices of journal writing, letter writing and recognition, name writing and recognition, and pretend reading help to develop skills necessary for language comprehension. Math skills are also focused on during daily activities. Using manipulatives and real life scenarios, children begin learning one-to-one correspondence, ratios, and basic algebra and geometry. We enhance the learning experience by incorporating science, technology, social studies, physical education, and foreign languages. Our goal is not to measure our students’ knowledge of materials by lengthy assessments, but to observe the daily knowledge they gain while interacting with the world around them. Each child will have a different learning journey, but it is our job as educators and parents to help encourage and promote any and all ways that will foster a love of learning.
