Childtime Learning Center- Fairport

At Childtime, we believe that children are talented, capable people who

• construct their knowledge through investigation and exploration, story and play;
• are born with a sense of wonder and a natural curiosity about the world around them;
• need to express their feelings, ideas, and experiences in many different ways.

Childtime's The Empowered Child curriculum, designed by early education specialists for our Skill Builders and Kindergarten Connection classes, is inspired by the Reggio Emila approach to early learning and is based on the work of respected child development/early education theorists Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson and Lev Vygotsky. The Empowered Child curricular principles follow the guidelines for developmentally appropriate practice set forth by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

The Empowered Child curriculum provides three components of quality education: developmentally appropriate activities, a wondrous classroom environment and quality teacher-child interactions.

The Activities: In the Childtime classroom, we give children the time, materials and guidance to understand their world and to communicate that understanding in ways that are meaningful to them.

Childtime recognizes that children are naturally curious about the world around them and learn critical foundational science, math, and reading and writing concepts through hands-on, sensory-oriented activities. We support children's active exploration and investigation through creative play activities.

The Classroom Environment: Brain research has shown that children make deeper connections in comfortable, calming, home-like learning environments, surrounded by the beauty of the natural world. We know that children feel safe here and are therefore best able to focus and learn.

Teacher-Child Interactions: Our skilled teachers encourage children to express their ideas and feelings in the ways which they are most comfortable, freeing them from the fears of mistakes and deepening their knowledge of the world around them.

Through the Empowered Child Curriculum, children feel valued for who they are. Children leave our program well-prepared for their kindergarten and elementary education, empowered to acquire skills they will need to become responsible members of their community, creative problem-solvers, and life-long learners.