Le Petit Gan believes that children are simply small citizens of the world, and that the early years are the best years to help them understand all the possibilities open to them. We focus on giving children the tools they need to explore and learn, using the Reggio and RIE philosophies that incorporate nature, compassion, and independence.
The Reggio way
The Reggio way is a teaching philosophy focused on self-direction and experiential learning in a relationship-based environment. We want children to learn and express themselves through moving, listening, touching, and observing the world around them. This teaching method facilitates growth and autonomy, while fostering the key principles of respect, responsibility, and community.
The RIE Way
The Rie way allows children to express who they are and what they need. As a teacher or parent, it requires us to give children space to be unique individuals. Some of the ways we practice this approach is by asking children to actively participate in their caregiving. By helping with meals, gardening, or diapering, children gain independence and provide them with a sense of security. By communicating authentically and allowing self-directed play, we raise children who are confident, curious, resourceful, and aware.
Toddler Goals (Age 18mo. - 3yrs.)
We allow children to develop motor and cognitive skills naturally according to their instinct by offering them free play and movement opportunities in an enriching environment. Some of the motor skills we are working on at this age include balanced walking, running, and pushing a bike with our feet. We also focus on verbal skills like answering to our name, saying our name, expressing our needs and wants (verbally or through actions), and singing songs that are familiar to us. Some of the academic skills we work on at this age include recognizing and identifying colors, shapes and body parts as well as counting to 10 independently.
Preschool (Age 3 - 5)
As we mature and grow we are ready for more elaborate development. We are still active participants in our learning and open to learn at our own pace in a hands-on creative environment. Some of the developmental milestones we reach for are verbally expressing our wants and needs, as well as verbal expression of our emotional feelings. When it comes to motor skills, we work on proper pencil-holding and writing/tracing letters, our name and numbers. We discover how to hold and cut with scissors to use for crafts. We work on our gross motor skills with bike riding, running, and balancing games. Building on what we did as toddlers, our academic goals are recognizing and identifying the six major colors, shapes and all the letters of the alphabet. We recognize the numbers 1-20 and their value as well.
Pre-K (Age 5)
Getting ready for Kindergarten is a big step for your little ones. We help them along each and every day. Working together at their pace, they will develop the ability to express their emotional feelings and resolve conflict independently and fairly. The academic skills we teach will be the foundation for their elementary school life. By focusing on everything from understanding letter sound connections, to developing early reading and writing skills to recognizing sight words and discovering basic addition and subtraction, your children will be ready to face kindergarten with a strong head start.