Blake Island : blake@communityschoolwestseattle.org

About our Philosophy
Please read our information here and if you would like to schedule an observation give us a call and we will set that up for you and your child..

 Children are learning all the time. Each child has their own unique path and while most progress along a similar pattern of development it look’s different for every child. We honor and respect children as individuals and want to get to know them and find out what it is that ‘they’ bring to our school. One of our greatest roles as Early Childhood Educators is to help each child learn how to ‘be’ in a community. Fundamental to our approach is knowing and understanding what is DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICE (DAP) for the Pre-School age child. Much research has been done over the years to figure this out and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC.org) has a tremendous amount of material available on the subject. DAP is about each particular stage of development, what is going on in their brain and body and what will be the most supportive program/environment for that stage? For example a 2½ yr olds body is all about movement. They are just getting a good grasp on mobility, even though they may have been walking for a while; their center of gravity has shifted due to new growth. Now that they are getting their feet again they want to move move move move move…It would not be DAP to require them to sit at circle time. However a circle time that is dancing, jumping and uses creative movement would be appealing to this age. A 4 year old has got their feet firmly on the ground and while they are still moving…it would be appropriate to ask that they join the group for a short story, or a few songs, perhaps 10 to 15 minutes. If the activity is of particular interest to them they may stay with you for 20 minutes, but constantly ‘requiring’ extended periods of inactivity, like sitting at a table doing a workbook, is NOT appropriate for this age child. DAP does what is best for the child. While parents often want to encourage or push their children into reading and writing at 3 and 4, from a DAP standpoint this is NOT the priority of early childhood. Such activities, if not from the child’s own desire, are actually harmful and can deter the process of learning to read and write at the appropriate time (which is usually between 6 and 10 years old). What we DO want to do is provide experiences that contribute towards the future success of reading and writing, these are called ‘pre’ skills. Hence the term PRE-SCHOOL. The ‘pre’ skills needed for reading and writing are eye hand coordination, strong finger muscles, gross motor control, one to one correspondence, ability to focus and an intact desire. With that in mind CSWS provides an ENRICHED ENVIRONMENT . Our classrooms are full of developmentally appropriate materials that are inviting, beautiful and designed to promote the ‘pre’ skills as mentioned above. The staff spends a great deal of time assessing, planning and arranging the environment to promote and facilitate children’s natural interest in the world around them. But that doesn’t mean that Pre-School is only about learning to read and write. Without question THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF A GOOD-SCHOOL PROGRAM IS SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT. Pre-School is often a child’s first experience outside of the home. And it’s very different out here than it is in there! CSWS offers a gentle, safe and nurturing transition not only for your child but also for you! You don’t have to listen to what ‘they’ all tell you. There is no rush. Pre-School SHOULD BE FUN! It’s a time for children to play, make friends, learn how to communicate with others, develop relationships outside of family, learn how to go to the bathroom and wash their own hands, fall down and get hurt and let someone other than mom help you out. It’s the place to learn that making mistakes is OK, eating snack is fun, spilling the paint makes cool shapes and that you can use the scissors when ever you want!!! It’s exhausting! A child is always learning, and learning all these things is what your child is doing NOW. When they are older they will be doing the reading and writing learning too, but they need THIS first. At CSWS we focus on what a child is doing and needs NOW. We pay attention to what is happening for them and the skills they are developing now so that they can complete this stage and move on. If all we did was practice being 5 then when would they ever get the chance to be 3½ ???

A term we use to describe our philosophy is ORGANIC EDUCATION. In a more traditional setting subjects are removed from life in order to ‘teach’ them. For example, we only ‘do math’ from 10:15 to 11am then we stop and ‘do’ science. Organic Education incorporates them into everyday activities. For example, a child having snack is not only participating in a social experience, but often the conversation turns to math, “how many pieces of apple does Katie have?” As well as nutrition (fruit is good for your whole body) geography (where do apples grow) science (is it sweet or sour?) Our skilled teachers provide the bridging activities necessary to make these connections. The result is relevant, real life learning through actual life experience. Everything children experience is a learning experience. The environment, the activities, the materials even the books and puzzles on the shelf are purposely chosen and designed to enhance, support and inspire LEARNING.

Please feel free to download, read, and ask questions about our Pre-school Curriculum.