CHILDREN ARE GREAT, CHILDREN LEARN THROUGH PLAY

Each Child has his or her own story and is respected for who he or she is.

At Oak Park we will work to develop trusting relationships with your children and to encourage independence in all aspects of their day. There is always time for a smile, a hug, a helping hand. There is an opportunity for: individual, small and large group activities, for children to learn to share, work co-operatively, develop language, social, motor and cognitive skills, THROUGH PLAY situations.

It is important that children have choices, and that they feel free to express their feelings and emotions. Our comfortable setting encourages, and allows children to do so. Children become aware of themselves, and the world around themselves, through PLAY.

Learning centres are arranged throughout the classrooms for the children to explore freely. Teaching staff set the scene for learning, and are on hand to help children expand their play. This increases their learning in the way toddler and pre-school children learn best.

Children receive a balance of structured and free play activities. As children progress in age, so do their skills and the amount of structured time.

Play for toddler and pre-school children is very unique. It nourishes children’s development. Play increases children’s attention span, builds their vocabulary, develops perseverance, and is the stepping stone in the way children begin to organize ideas, to plan, and to think. All of these are prerequisites for problem solving, feeling good about their accomplishments, reading, writing, counting, etc.

We work to provide a safe, healthy and nurturing environment for your children. Children need to feel good about themselves, and comfortable about their surroundings. Lets work together to continue making all this possible and more.

CURRICULUM

Our program is based upon The Creative Curriculum, which takes new research and theory from the field of early childhood education and translates it into a practical approach to working with children and their families. It is an all-inclusive curriculum with a clear organizational structure that is applied to particular interest areas:

• Blocks
• Dramatic play
• Toys and games
• Art
• Library
• Discovery
• Sand and water
• Music and movement
• Cooking
• Computers
• Outdoors

The Creative Curriculum allows our staff to meet the needs of children with a broad range of abilities. Children with different learning styles and needs are able to function together in a well-organized environment.

MULTICULTURALISM

Oak Park has a multicultural staff and has children from many different backgrounds. Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu and Tamil are spoken by the staff and children often pick up words from these languages.