Program Philosophy

Pooh Corner Early Childhood Program strives to provide a well-balanced learning environment to promote the cognitive, social, emotional and physical development of the whole child. Four educational focuses provide the foundation for our curriculum.

Affective Development 

Our program is designed to nurture a positive self-image of every child.  Children are encouraged to make choices, cooperate with others during projects and play,and resolve conflicts in a positive way.  We see every child is special and encourage children to respect differences.  We provide opportunities for self-expression through dramatic play and experiences. Social skills and language skills go hand-in-hand to develop self-esteem, many opportunities are provided throughout the day for children to practice both.  We emphasize “process” over “product” in art and other activities so that children can express themselves and build self-confidence by experiencing success.  

Cognitive Development 

We offer activities every day to promote reading and math readiness.  We believe in a hands-on approach using manipulatives and real-life situations in science and math.  Discovery and exploration are encouraged in all our learning situations.  We involve all the senses as we invite children to experiment and experience different choices and attributes.  At Pooh Corner, we promote an active interest in our environment and nature.  Young children learn through hands-on projects and active involvement in our program.  Reading is promoted through active participation in story telling, encouraging children to make up their own stories to tell, write or illustrate.  We offer a wide array of activities designed to nurture a love for books.

Physical Development and Health 

Our center promotes healthy eating habits and self-help skills. We plan activities daily to develop large and small muscle coordination, balance and eye-hand coordination. We are well equipped to engage children in active play and exercise both indoors and outside. It is our goal to find ways for children to express their feeling through movement, dance and motor skills. Fine motor skills (cutting, pasting, manipulating objects) are developed daily during our center activities. Gross motor skills (running, hopping, jumping, skipping, throwing, catching) are also a key element in our physical activities

Parent/Guardian Involvement 

We believe we are in partnership with parents/guardians in educating their children.  Families are encouraged to be actively involved in our program.