After introductory lessons, we introduce children to an inviting, clean classroom area. In there, we display materials on open shelving for children to obtain and explore at their own pace. These materials cover different foundational education skills. The room is large enough to accommodate a group of approximately 30 children. We group in age groups so as to facilitate a true social setting: younger students find inspiration in the role models of their older classmates, and the older students assist the younger, developing compassion and acceptance of all ability levels--qualities which we as adults may need to be reminded of!
A group of this size helps the child encounter a larger range of learning activities abilities, thus inspiring and leading the child to the next step quite easily and naturally! It is through exposure that children absorb, and that can mean through observation of an activity before actual “hands-on” learning.
The structure of the flow of this setting allows the child the opportunity to allow what nature has set in place to continue. Children flow through “sensitive periods” where the learning of a particular ability is simply done with tremendous grace and ease. It is during these periods that our directresses, who are trained in close observation for when to identify these moments, introduces an activity to the child with close attention and great care.
Children are allowed to move from activity to activity, thus enabling them to stay attuned to their inner director guiding them to the purposeful work that nature has set forth for them. In a setting of freedom within limits, children are able to learn at a much accelerated rate, for nature has a plan that, if followed, allows for this development to happen earlier than if we, as adults, try to second-guess Mother Nature. It is not we who decide when the child walks or talks, and that is true in learning of all sorts.
