Reggio : Reggio philosophy is that every child has 100 languages, these languages are ways of learning as well as expressing oneself, and each one is valid and important. The 100 languages in the Reggio philosophy remind me quite a bit of the Multiple Intelligence theory, only in much more detail. The multiple intelligence theory is that there are 8 intelligence types and they also more or less dictate how a person learns best and it varies greatly person to person. The 100 languages theory seem to expound upon this idea, promoting the validity of how each child learns and expresses themselves. Reggio is a highly supportive child led curriculum, the teachers place emphasis on what interests the children using their knowledge and resources to aid in the learning process, music is at the heart of this program, as well as dance and drama, and visual arts such as clay art, literacy and math are also thoroughly integrated into the curriculum. Everything about the Reggio philosophy from the teachers to the environment is intentional and designed to promote not just the child's success but also their families, and families are routinely involved whenever possible.
Cedarsong Nature School : I feel a great resonance with this philosophy, and if I ever venture to open my own center it will very likely be a nature school, I truly believe that being outside in nature daily is vital to us as human beings, especially when we are young and making our initial entrance and connection with the world around us. The children at Cedarsong are never stifled or restricted unless there is a true danger, and they are always encouraged to explore what piques their curiosity in this interest led nature based program,
for instance, they can readily identify a variety of edible plants as well as different bird call, bird calls that parents use to call their children to them at pick up time.
Cooperative preschools : Cooperative preschools are a direct partnership of teachers, children, and families, encouraging not just the growth and learning of the children but also the children's families, parent involvement has been shown to directly and positively impact a child's overall development, the children know that their families value them and what they are learning by being a part of it and the families benefit by being able to better understand their children and what they are learning. Cooperative preschools focus on and benefit the children in part because there are amazing adult to child ratios, better supporting the individual growth of each child through more one on one interactions, all aspects of play are encouraged as well including outside time, a must. Cooperative preschools also operate at a significantly lower cost do to the high parental involvement at all levels of the program, from the classroom to administration and governance. Cooperative preschools have enormous potential to benefit everyone who participates.
High Scope : The High Scope program is based in language development and hands on learning, using the Plan, Do, and Review approach, for instance the teacher will ask the children at the beginning of the day what it is they plan to do that day, and then again when they are engaged in activities, and then they talk together again at the days close. The High Scope approach encourages the development of independence, curiosity, decision making, cooperation, persistence, creativity, and problem solving, and meets all state and national standards and is used in a variety of settings including headstart programs, public school pre-kindergarten programs, and also family childcare settings. Children and teachers alike are participants in the learning and development process with constant quality interactions and observations, High Scope environments are set up for children to succeed in all of their endeavors to the best of their abilities and to help them expand upon what they already know.
Universal Preschool : There is a lot of debate over universal preschool, proponents of universal preschool point out both the short term and long term benefits of early childhood programs are that children are more ready for school and achieve greater academic success and display greater self regulation skills, and further down the road in adolescence and adulthood they are also less likely to engage in reckless or dangerous behavior and they tend to maintain steady employment more readily than their peers who were not involved in a similar early learning environment. Those opposed to universal preschool argue that if these programs are not high quality that the benefits seem to trickle away during the later school years, however, the benefits later in life still stand with consistent employment etc... another thing is that someone has to pay for this program, and that can feel like trying to get water from a rock sometimes. So overall the evidence is there, now we just wait and see, and when we do implement a universal program we work to ensure that it is highest quality no matter where you are.
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