“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning.  But for children, play is serious learning.  Play is really the work of childhood.”    – Mr. Rogers

Philosophy

Our philosophy, curriculum, and methods for guiding and supervising children’s behavior and growth express the ideals of love, tolerance, forgiveness, and responsibility.  At LW ELC, children are given the opportunity to learn about the world around them by experiencing it for themselves.  We encourage and foster learning by providing an environment rich in free choice and self-expression through an exciting curriculum that encompasses all areas of development.
It is important that our program provides a nurturing and loving environment.  We focus on the whole child, which encompasses the cognitive (intellectual), affective (social-emotional), physical, and social awareness areas of child development.  The goal is to create an age-appropriate environment that helps children to achieve their optimum individual development.  LW ELC has developed a description of what constitutes nurturing values and behavior:

1. Provide a stimulating environment within which the child will grow intellectually, socially, physically, emotionally, morally, and creatively with an emphasis on self-worth.

2. Acceptance of children as they are, valuing their uniqueness and diversity.

3. Helping children celebrate their individuality through love, compassion, and kindness.

4. Maintaining a safe and secure environment by establishing clear and consistent boundaries.

5. Encouraging children to develop self-sufficiency by taking responsibility for themselves, their actions, and their environment.

6. Encouraging clear communication, verbal expression of feelings, sensitivity to other’s needs, and attunement to one’s own needs.

7. Providing open-ended questions promotes literacy and learning.

The Childhood Experience

At a time when more and more demands are being placed on young children to meet the performance expectations of our increasingly high-pressure society, LW ELC is committed to preserving the experience of childhood.  This experience is critical to the well-rounded development of children and their ultimate success as adults.

“Process versus Product”: We take our responsibilities very seriously in trying to have every child academically and socially ready for kindergarten. However, we feel a child will be most successful when we focus on the process of learning rather than the perfect product.  Preschool at LW ELC is about children feeling good about the process of learning, not pleasing teachers and parents with perfect “products.”  It is important to keep in mind when your child is learning a new skill that they are practicing and not perfecting. 

The Power of Play: Purpose and Value

Lighted Window ELC’s motto is that “we learn through play.”  While playing, children are working to discover their world. When children are playing, they are learning very important skills.  As educators, we offer guidance and structure to the children so that they can gain the knowledge they need to be successful in all areas of development, including their social, emotional, and physical well-being.  At LW ELC, a primary requirement of our staff is to have a comprehensive understanding of not only early childhood development but the importance of play and its role and relationship to learning.

Inclusivity

We strive to create an inclusive environment where every child’s needs are being met. We work with families to ensure appropriate services are provided, and we have an in-house network of professional staff, aids, and therapists (Speech and Occupational) working together to make sure we stay on top of every child’s behavior and development.  

Speech, hearing, and vision assessments are offered to all students annually.