THE WILLOUGHBY-EASTLAKE
PRESCHOOL
PHILOSOPHY
The educational philosophy of the Willoughby-Eastlake Schools Early Childhood Program is based on a developmental and experiential approach to education. The program provides an environment that respects children and is designed to meet the unique social, emotional, cognitive, and physical needs of each child as he/she passes through the stages of childhood development.
The program identifies and appropriately provides for the uniqueness of each child’s needs, characteristics, and abilities. Programming promotes a child’s total development; it recognizes that different levels and abilities are expected, valued, and accepted. The program is child-centered and teacher-supported. Children are active learners in an environment that encourages and fosters activities and experiences that are based on the developmental knowledge of how young children grow, develop, and learn.
Our continuum of programming allows children, both typically developing and children with disabilities, to interact and gain a broader perspective of the real world. A variety of learning experiences promote positive attitudes about human differences. An important component of our early childhood program is to help children see that beneath the surface differences of color, religion, culture, and differing ability, the same things matter to all people: love, life, goodness, and friendship.
Another vital component of our program is family involvement. The family is an integral part of a child’s learning experience and an essential part of the child’s educational team. Therefore, the program provides many opportunities for families to be active participants in their child’s early education.
Each child is valued as a unique person with a distinctive pattern of growth and development. We provide a loving environment that stresses the development of a child's positive self-image in the world around him.