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Open Houses & Toddler Play Dates!
Philosophy
Philosophy
San Mateo Parents’ Nursery School (SMPNS) is a play-based program for young children. At SMPNS we believe that children learn through active exploration and play. We believe that young children are naturally motivated to learn by doing, and they learn best through hands-on activities and interactions with their environment.
The Active Learner and the Learning Environment
The Active Learner and the Learning Environment
The preschool child is an active learner and gains knowledge by acting directly on and with concrete objects. Children are encouraged to freely explore and participate in activities at their own developmental level and interest. Children are supported by adults who encourage the development of the child’s self-control, self-confidence, and self-esteem.
Children are provided opportunities to make choices and are given guidance in resolving conflicts. The school environment is organized to support the child’s freedom to move and choose activities throughout the day.
Daily Routine and Developmental Domains
Daily Routine and Developmental Domains
The daily routine offers a balance of indoor and outdoor experiences in which children learn as they play. Children build on skills in the areas of fine and gross motor development, sensory-motor development, language development, and social development.
Group time encourages communication, cooperation, language, and social development. It may include stories, music, songs, fingerplays, group games, discussions, show-and-tell, and opportunities for the children to perform in front of a group.
Outdoor play provides opportunities for gross motor development and an introduction to science, math, and environmental concepts. Children may participate in dramatic play, block building, climbing, painting, gardening, woodworking, water and sand play, or quiet play.
Mixed-Age Grouping and Peer Learning
Mixed-Age Grouping and Peer Learning
The SMPNS program operates as a multi-aged group, which allows for a wide range of developmental levels. Children can participate in activities at their own level of comfort and challenge.
Older children often assist and model for younger children. Younger children have the opportunity to observe and learn from the older children. Multi-aged settings help children develop both leadership and cooperative skills. Learn more about how this environment continues to prepare four year old children for Kindergarten here.
Classroom Arrangement and Independent Learning
Classroom Arrangement and Independent Learning
The classroom is arranged to support the development of children and provide open-ended activities that challenge and develop thinking and problem-solving skills. The equipment and materials are accessible to the children, allowing them to select, use, and return items independently.
The classroom provides areas for art, blocks, dramatic play, reading, writing, manipulatives, science, sensory play, and quiet activities.
Teacher Role and Learning Through Play
Teacher Role and Learning Through Play
SMPNS teachers value what children can do and how they think. Teachers create an environment where learning can take place and interact with children to extend their learning through play.
They also prepare the learning environment to support the child’s initiative and build children’s confidence to try new things. The emphasis is on the process, not the product.
Teachers provide meaningful experiences that are relevant to children’s lives and create opportunities for children to make choices, solve problems, and explore the world around them.
The “Play Buffet” and Skill Development
The “Play Buffet” and Skill Development
Children are guided through a “Play Buffet” of rich experiences that promote the development of sustained attention and creative engagement. These include activities that support phonological awareness, oral language, vocabulary development, number sense, sensory-motor integration, fine and gross motor development, and conflict negotiation.
Parent Education and Participation
Parent Education and Participation
A parent education component is incorporated into the school day. Parents are supported in observing their children and interacting in ways that foster the development of independence.
Parents are also provided with current developmental information and guidance in parenting practices.
Dr. Lilian Katz
Dr. Lilian Katz
Did you know that our preschool was the starting point for one of Early Childhood Education’s international legends, Dr. Lillian Katz?
Lillian’s two children attended SMPNS in the late 50s, and she was the school president at the time that our current school building was constructed and opened! Lillian Katz received her B.A. from SF State, and went on to complete a Ph.D. in ECE from Stanford in 1968. She was a contributing author and editor of Parents Magazine for 13 years, has published 2 books about teaching and project-based learning, and has lectured and taught all over the world! She is currently a Professor Emerita at University of Illinois.
Dr. Katz continues to advocate for the type of preschool curriculum that we are fortunate to have for our own kids here at SMPNS! Her extensive research over the past 50 years supports the value of providing young children with an informal learning environment, which results in spontaneous play. The importance of building community and a feeling of belonging is also key to the healthy development of preschool-age kids. The freedom to have extended conversations with teachers and peers allows students to have a deeper understanding of their own experience, which fosters development of each child’s personal confidence as a lifelong learner.
Dr. Katz is a SMPNS mom that went on to share her knowledge of best practices for teaching happy preschoolers with the rest of the world!
(SMPNS Newsletter contribution, February 2016)
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