 | | | | | | | Dawn to Dusk Preschool is proud to provide successful educational experiences for children and their families by uniting the best practices of early childhood education while promoting clinical research and training in child language and literacy. Dawn to Dusk Preschool is a model school for best practices in both early childhood and elementary education. Our faculty has been invited as speakers to regional, national, and international conferences. Regional leaders in early childhood and international visitors have come to observe our programs and learn from our faculty. | | "From birth a baby's brain cells multiply wildly making connections that may shape a lifetime of experience. The first five years are critical..." - J. Madelein Nash, TIME MAGAZINE 2/3/97 | | This quote is the cornerstone of our Philosophy. It is our belief that growth and development just doesn't happen by chance. They are achieved by planned and spontaneous interactive learning experiences, which stimulate the senses and foster development physically, socially, emotionally and creatively. We nourish the growth in these first five years of life, and in partnership with our parents, provide a warm nurturing setting reminiscent of a child's natural environment; home. Opportunities for solitary play, as well as, group activities are provided and our staff serves as positive role models, offering care that is supportive and responsible to each child's individual needs. | | Dawn to Dusk Preschool Objectives | - To foster growth in self-esteem, independence, communication, creativity, and problem-solving.
- To maximize learning in the context of flexible and naturally-occurring interactions with others.
- To develop communicative competence in each child and to provide intensive, individualized instruction.
- To assist families by providing a supportive network of information, early intervention, and advocacy.
| | Dawn to Dusk Preschool partners with professionals on the local and national level to conduct research, and to provide a resource for professional training, technical assistance, clinical service, and community outreach. | What makes Dawn to Dusk Preschool a strong program?
| | Highly Skilled Staff: | | Our classrooms are each staffed with professionals in the fields of early childhood education. The teachers work together as a collaborative team, sharing their expertise and creativity to create rich learning environments, stimulating experiences, and challenging activities as they target specific skills. Staff members are involved in ongoing professional development activities as a group and also pursue areas of professional interest and expertise, such as behavior management, literacy, or family support. | | | | | Focus on Language and Literacy: | | Our program deliberately focuses on the development of early language and literacy. We believe that strong language and communication skills provide the foundation for social and cognitive development, and that these skills can be nurtured in a rich educational environment when skilled professionals act as facilitators. Our Program capitalizes on the developmental interplay of the visual, auditory, tactile, and motor systems. Children begin to use symbolic representations for sounds, an important precursor to literacy. The transition to reading letters and words becomes natural and accessible for children. | | | | | Developmentally Appropriate Practice: | | We believe that children have a natural curiosity and desire to learn. Our teachers strive to create curriculum that is child-centered, challenging, and interesting. Our youngest children engage through exploration and discovery. Our older children are exposed to an integrated curriculum and enjoy a classroom environment that supports cooperative learning and innovation. Our small teacher-to-child ratio provides each child with daily opportunities for individual attention as we address children's unique learning styles, interests, and needs. | | | | | Leadership: | | Dawn to Dusk Preschool brings together a broad range of experience and knowledge. There is a spirit of optimism and passion for our work and this resounds with the school leadership. Any new endeavor brings opportunity, and the school leaders welcome the challenge of growing together to create something that is extraordinary for children and their families. | | | | | Education: | | Dawn to Dusk Preschool includes Art, Music, Science, Library, Dance, Drama, Physical Education and Creative Movement. We introduce the children to artistic and scientific concepts, encourage the children to explore the process of thinking and creating, and help them to develop and strengthen their self-esteem. |
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