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Hopwood School Philosophy & Environment
Philosophy The Whole Child
The “whole child” is our concern. We focus
on intellectual, social, emotional and physical growth. Attention
is given to the developmental abilities of the child. We are interested
in creating a positive self image for every child at Hopwood.
We want them to develop self confidence and a willingness to try
new ideas, we want them to learn that they can do many things.
We encourage the participation rather than the end result in activities.
We promote creativity in their work, with self expression being
paramount. We reinforce positive thinking and creative problem
solving. We endeavor to look at things through a child’s
eyes and help them to enjoy and appreciate life.
Learning How to Learn
At Hopwood, we are more focused on setting up the patterns of
learning. Therefore, we work with classification, seriation and
sequence skills. These skills can later be transferred to the
sciences, reading, mathematics and other areas of study. Learning
“how to learn” at an early age provides the strong
foundation for a lifetime of learning. Our curriculum fosters
necessary reading and writing skills. Your child will learn at
a developmentally appropriate pace, not by rote memorization.
Key Experiences
Your child primarily learns through his or her experiences. Therefore,
we at the Hopwood School & Camp provide as many key experiences
as possible so that the child may discover what we as adults
take
for granted. We provide a tactile environment with a variety
of media so that your child can relate and express his or her
thinking.
We provide a wide variety of situations and settings that encourage
fundamental social skills both indoors and outdoors. Thus,
the child develops independence,
the ability to participate in group situations and the ability
to problem solve in relation to others.
Environment
Balanced Environment
As mentioned, the Hopwood School & Camp strives to maintain
a balance between the intellectual, social, emotional and physical
needs of its students. National trends in early childhood education
bear out what Hopwood has long practiced. Below are just two references
that address the need for "balance" in the preschool
environment.
• Exerpts from "What's Going On In
Preschools Today?" by Judy Molland for Parenthood.com:
....“Children are the eventual losers
if we try to pit the mind against the heart,” ...“We
need to recognize that both are important, and indeed, for minds
to learn, the social and emotional preparation needs to be there
too.”...
Click
here to read the entire article from Parenthood.com.
• Excerpts from a summary of "Set
for Success: Building a Strong Foundation for School Readiness
Based on the Social-Emotional Development of Young Children"
by the Kauffman Early Education Exchange:
...before children can learn to read, they
must learn basic social and emotional skills such as the ability
to tolerate frustration and take direction. Kindergarten teachers
report that their single greatest challenge is that a majority
of the children lack some or all of the needed social and emotional
competencies needed to learn...
Click
here to read the summary and full report of "Set for
Success: Building a Strong Foundation for School Readiness Based
on the Social-Emotional Development of Young Children" by
the Kauffman Early Education Exchange (nieer.org).
Natural Environment
Hopwood's 8.5 acres provides a rich
outdoor environment for children to engage nature. We are proud
of the fact that Hopwood's outdoor learning and playing opportunities
set us apart from so many others. The smell of rain, the sound
of
crunching
leaves,
the sight of soaring hawks or the feel of a worm in muddy hands
are key learning experiences. Learning how to share a sled
in the winter, rolling down a hill with friends or raking leaves
together to make a leaf pile sound simple enough, but this
unstructured play builds social skills and self-confidence.
"Last Child in
the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder" by
child advocacy expert Richard Louv reveals a new and growing
body of research indicating that "direct exposure to
nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for
the physical and emotional health of children and adults".
Click
here to read more at Books.Google.com.
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