Premier Preschool Nurtures Learning for Infants and Toddlers Through Balance

 Children start learning from the moment they are born, and research shows that the first five years of a child’s life hold the most potential for development. That’s a lot of pressure for parents! So, what is the best way to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for learning?

 “We know every child and family is different – there is no one-size-fits-all approach to teaching and learning,” said Dr. Pratiksha Rigley, Franchise Owner of Primrose School of Plano at Preston Meadow. “At Primrose®, our approach is all about balance: balance between purposeful play and guidance from teachers, balance between traditional early education methods and the latest research, and balance between different developmental areas.”

 The Primrose-exclusive approach, called Balanced Learning®, is created from the best early education wisdom and balances purposeful play with nurturing guidance from teachers to encourage curiosity, creativity, confidence and compassion. It is designed to meet the developmental needs of young children. For example, the Primrose Wonder Program is designed specifically for children ages 6 weeks to 3 years old who attend the Infant, Toddler, Early Preschool and Preschool Pathways classrooms. Experiences in these classrooms purposefully tap into young children’s natural process of learning through observation, exploration and nurturing interactions with adults and peers.

 Below is a deeper look at how each characteristic of the Balanced Learning approach comes to life in Wonder Program classrooms.

 Created from the best early education wisdom.

Primrose pulled the best principles from well-known methods and theories, such as those of Montessori, Piaget and Vygotsky, and blended those with wisdom from today’s leading experts in early education.

 Balances purposeful play with nurturing guidance from teachers.

The Balanced Learning approach balances play with guidance and instruction from teachers, which maximizes each child's opportunity to learn, no matter his or her learning style. In Wonder Program classrooms, caring teachers guide children to observe and explore the world around them through nurturing and purposeful interactions. As children get older, they have more opportunities to explore independently while teachers continue to provide meaningful guidance and instruction to extend their learning.

 Encourages curiosity, creativity, confidence and compassion.

Intellectual, creative, physical and social-emotional skills are embedded in children’s daily experiences at Primrose, not exercised once a week or if the teacher has time. As children in Wonder Program classrooms listen to stories, sing counting songs and explore their classrooms, they are actually learning and practicing foundational concepts in subjects like language and literacy, science, art, physical development and more.

 The Balanced Learning approach is integrated, meaning skills and concepts are reinforced through different, yet connected experiences. For example, a learning theme might be emotions. Teachers will use the Primrose Friends puppets to act out and introduce a variety of emotions. Then, children will learn more about different emotions through activities like practicing emotion faces in mirrors, learning songs and dances about being happy, and reading a story about helping someone who is sad. Themes, skills and concepts are presented repeatedly so that children can explore each topic in a variety of ways. As a result, learning comes naturally and is so much fun.

 “At Primrose, we believe who children become is just as important as what they know,” said Dr. Pratiksha Rigley. “Character development and life skills are also key components of the Balanced Learning approach.”

 In Wonder Program classrooms, traits such as honesty, cooperation, generosity and empathy are nurtured in children on a daily basis. With the help of the Primrose Friends puppets, teachers model and teach these important character traits and skills through books, discussions, art projects, puppet play, games and role playing. These skills are nurtured even in Infant classrooms – babies develop a sense of security and trust through loving relationships with their teachers, laying the foundation for the development of social-emotional skills.

 The Balanced Learning approach is more than a curriculum. Daily classroom experiences; classroom equipment, materials, books and toys; training; assessment and school-home connection resources are all intentionally aligned to engage children in developmentally-appropriate learning. On the surface children simply have fun and engage in purposeful play, but underneath is a comprehensive and integrated approach that provides an unparalleled early learning experience.

 To learn about Primrose School of Plano at Preston Meadow, visit www.PrimrosePlanoPrestonMeadow or call 972.964.6826. For more helpful parenting tips and information, visit our blog at www.PrimroseSchools.com/blog and sign up for the Pointers for Parents newsletter.