Early Childhood Research supports the concept that children learn most effectively when interacting with adults, materials, and the environment in ways that help them make sense of the world. Learning activities and materials should be concrete, real, and relevant to a child’s life, while providing a wide range of complexity and challenge so as to meet each child’s developmental and cognitive needs.

The Project Approach emerges from children’s ideas and interests. Each project allows children the opportunity to question, experiment, plan, sustain interest, work toward long-range goals and develop problem-solving skills. Curriculum is naturally integrated as children represent and record their observations and knowledge through art, science, math, language, writing, music and creative play. By working on projects that are meaningful to them, children develop important social skills such as working cooperatively, sharing ideas, listening to others, negotiating compromises, and sharing ownership in the completed project.

 A hallmark of The Children’s Garden is the exceptional creativity that emerges as children are encouraged to explore a wide variety of materials and express themselves in many ways. The school becomes a kaleidoscope of color and texture through displays of children’s work. Each year is unique, as each group of children creates a collective memory of their preschool experience.