LPLC Philosophy 

At Little People’s Learning Center we believe that optimal learning occurs when the curriculum is composed of 4 main elements: Education of the Whole Child, Place-Based Education, Emergent Learning, and Project-Based Learning. Additionally, when our students reach the Park Rangers classroom, they add a 5th element: the Engage NY component. This is the Common Core curriculum that our local school district utilizes, offering our students a bridge between their early learning experience and their public school experience. 

 

Component One: Educaton of the Whole Child 

•Teachers strive to present educational experiences to students utilizing the 7 Domains of the Early Childhood Brain:

•1. Gross Motor

•2. Fine Motor

•3. Language

•4. Cognitive

•5. Social/Emotional

•6. Self-Help/Adaptive

•7. Morals/Values

 

Component Two: Place-Based Education 

•Utilizing the outdoors as a primary classroom space in order to connect children to their local environment and promote a strong sense of place so that children become stewards of their community. PBE also capitalizes on the many benefits that outdoor education offers.

 

Component Three: Emergent Learning 

•Learning is a balance between child and teacher-directed experiences. Teachers follow the curiosity and interest of the child as much as possible, supplementing the learning process by presenting additional learning experiences when necessary to round out the curriculum. 

 

Component Four: Project-Based Learning 

•Teachers guide children as they explore their interests and then work in collaboration to test a hypothesis regarding those interests. Teachers continuously inquire to deepen the learning opportunity at hand. The learning should be hands-on, active, and experienced with as many senses as possible.

 

Component Five (Park Rangers Only): Engage NY

For information regarding Engage NY, please CLICK HERE.