Inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy, we believe that children learn naturally through play, observation, and investigation. We honor individuality and value each child as a competent learner, rich with ideas and eager to learn. We are a welcoming community that nurtures the minds and hearts of children and families. Reflecting the Episcopal Church tradition, we seek to encourage a passion for life-long learning. In our small, self-contained classes of 10 to 15 students, with 2 highly qualified teachers, our children thrive in all areas of their development. Ventana School is a ministry of Christ Episcopal Church reflecting its deep commitment to children and its mission to nurture the minds and hearts of people living in Silicon Valley. [ View our Photo Gallery ]
Principles
[BACK]
Ventana School provides a rich, inquiry-based learning environment for young children, ages two through six years. The principles of our program are:
Education for the whole child
Our teachers nurture the cognitive, emotional, spiritual, social, and physical development of our students.
Emergent Curriculum
The interests of the children direct the topics and activities for each day. The teachers reflect upon children’s conversations, ideas, and investigations. They follow through and build upon them the following day.
Project Approach
In-depth study of topics and issues takes place in classes as ideas emerge from the children. The teachers and children research the topics together in thoughtful investigations. Some projects may be long-term while others may last one day. There may be several projects going on simultaneously in one classroom, with small groups of children involved in one or more project. These projects co-exist with other activities in the learning centers. The children’s questions and investigation of something familiar to them leads to a meaningful in depth study. The children are engaged in constructing their knowledge in math, science, social relations and literacy as it pertains to their interests. Documentation of the children’s work shows their ideas, research and exploration of the subject. Parents and community members are involved in the process of a project, providing expertise, knowledge and skills to help the children answer their questions. The culmination is a celebration of the children’s work.
Environment as the Third Teacher
Our learning environments are thoughtfully arranged with open-ended learning materials to stimulate curiosity and engage children in sensory experiences and problem solving. We use natural fabrics, wood and items from nature to create a soothing and beautiful classroom atmosphere.
Records of Children’s Learning
We use several types of documentation at Ventana:
- Digital photographs of children’s experiences
- Transcribed conversations of children
- Display panels of stages of a project
- Web albums of our photographs for parents
- Daily written summary of activities sent by email to parents
An individual portfolio for each child is given to parents at the end of each school year. Displays of children’s learning are for several purposes:
- To communicate learning with parents
- As a tool for teacher reflection, planning, and understanding
- For children to revisit their experiences and extend their thinking
Community Atmosphere
At Ventana, parents are welcomed, and encouraged to bring their special talents and gifts to the children. We have a strong community spirit, fostered by family gatherings, parent meetings, and parent participation in the classroom. Ventana is a community of learners, comprised of children, parents, and teachers.
Teachers as Researchers and Collaborators
The role of the teacher is to support the children’s inquiries and provoke thinking that extends and expands their ideas. By asking questions and guiding experiences of joint, open-ended discovery and problem solving, they deepen the children’s understanding of a topic or issue. Our teachers ask open-ended questions and then reflect with the children about their theories. From the information the teachers gather, they then collect the materials needed to further engage the children in the study.
Program Elements
[BACK]
Social/ Emotional Development
“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
– Albert Einstein
This is the most important element of the program, laying the strong foundation for academic learning. The children are learning to separate from family members and to feel comfortable in a school environment. The students are learning to communicate their feelings, needs and ideas in acceptable ways. They are gaining the confidence to express their ideas, collaborate and cooperate in small and large groups. Individually the students are discovering how to make friends, and how to appreciate different personalities. Differences of opinion, ideas or wants are opportunities for learning to negotiate, share, and build strong relationships. Through dramatic play the children learn about the different roles people have in their family and community. As the children talk about their different interests, the teachers help them set up varied environments for dramatic play such as a doctor’s office, car wash or animal hospital.
Literacy
“Language is not an abstract construction of the learned, nor of dictionary makers, but is something arising out of the work, needs, ties, joys, affections, tastes, of long generations of humanity, and has its bases broad and low, close to the ground.”
-Noah Webster
The walls are filled with the children’s work and written documentation of their ideas. In the beginning of the year the teachers are asking, “Is there a story or words that you would like me to write down to document what you are creating?” Soon it is the child who is asking the teacher, “Could you write my story or how do you write…….?” Speaking, listening, reading and writing are supported in each of the learning centers with books, tools and paper for writing, displays and intriguing materials.
Math
“I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.”
-Albert Einstein
Math is a language and a tool. The inquiry approach to math enables students to develop their own understanding of mathematical concepts. The children learn to recognize shapes and patterns, and investigate relationships among people and materials using numbers and measurements. The children begin to understand symbols as they document an interest, such as “how often do we hear the train?” The children run to the teacher and make a special mark on the paper to represent the train noise. The marks are counted and then represented by another symbol, a number.
Art
“Our task, regarding creativity, is to help children climb their own mountains, as high as possible.”
-Loris Malaguzzi
(founder of the Reggio Emilia schools)
In order that children may climb their own mountains, the teacher helps the children learn different art techniques and how to use the tools and materials. Development of fine motor skills and the knowledge of materials lead to greater expression of the children’s ideas. We say the children are learning to draw and drawing to learn. The children’s art links the different disciplines together as they represent their learning and ideas in many mediums.
Art Studio
“…a place where children’s different languages could be explored by them and studied by us in a favorable and peaceful atmosphere. We and they could experiment with alternative modalities, techniques, instruments, and materials. What was important was to help the children find their own styles of exchanging with friends both their talents and their discoveries..” -Loris Malaguzzi
The art studio is a place for children to express their ideas through art media with the support of our four faculty artists. Opening in September 2009, our art studio will be filled with natural materials, recyclables, clay, wire, paints, textiles and paper, all available to the children to use to make their ideas visible.
Science
“Play is a phenomenon of nature and has directed the course of the world from the beginning of time.”
-Manfred Eigen (Nobel laureate in physics)
The curriculum starts with what the children are familiar with in the physical world and provides exploratory and investigative experiences to expand their understanding. Through playing the children naturally create their own experiments. A roadway built with blocks and ramps leads to discoveries about speed of big cars versus small cars or how the incline of the ramp affects the speed of the cars. The children are applying the scientific method when they observe, hypothesize, experiment, collect data and make conclusions.
Drama and Creative Movement
“No, it’ll not do just to read the good old tales out of a book. You’ve got to tell ‘em to make ‘em go right.”
-Richard Chase, Grandfather Tales
Children are provided weekly opportunities to act out classic stories, interpret rhythms, and express ideas through music with our creative movement specialist. Retelling favorite stories enhances literacy development, cognitive development and physical coordination. Each child plays a part in the drama, or may choose to be the audience.
Nature Program
“Gardening is the art that uses flowers and plants as paint and the soil and sky as canvas.”
–Elizabeth Murray
In our nature area children learn about the cycle of growing by planting and caring for vegetables in our garden. Our chickens provide us with eggs that we use in cooking projects, along with the vegetables we grow. The children learn responsibility through caring for our rabbit as well as feeding the chickens. On our seven acre campus, students go for nature walks, collecting pods, twigs, and leaves that are used for their projects in the classroom.
Physical Development
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”
-Fred Rogers
Children have daily opportunities to use their large muscles, including running, climbing, jumping, dancing, balancing, throwing, and kicking. In the playground the children choose from various materials and equipment to experience spontaneous and planned games. Their small muscles are developed through play activities outside such as working in the sandbox with shovels and pails building waterways and towns. Inside, painting, cutting, drawing and working on puzzles develops their manual dexterity.
Links
[BACK]
The Institute for Early Childhood Education and Research
http://earlychildhood.educ.ubc.ca/Publications/Researchintopractice_Vol_IV.htm
Frequently Asked Questions Related to Reggio Emilia Philosophies and Experiences
North American Reggio Emilia Alliance
http://www.reggioalliance.org/faq.php
