 | About Us
Blake Day School is a ministry of Blake Memorial Baptist Church. Because of this, we not only focus on academics, but also on the development of good character qualities, such as obeying and honoring parents, self control, kindness, helpfulness, responsibility, etc., as well as learning about God, that God loves us and that He created us. Research has shown that children learn by doing, and this is our school philosophy. With everything we teach (language, math, science, reading, etc.), our children learn by touching, feeling, and doing.
Statement of Philosophy
Blake Memorial Day School is a Christian preschool and is dedicated to the mental, physical, social, and spiritual development of all children entrusted to our care. We recognize that each child is a unique gift from God, and we pledge to always show God's love by our kind words and patient example. We teach the truths of God's Word by using the stories and verses from the Bible. Therefore, each staff member has been carefully chosen to reflect the ideals and goals of Blake Memorial Day School. This preschool offers an enriched program, meeting the highest standard of early childhood education.
We offer a Montessori-based curriculum that is a developmental play-oriented learning program. The children learn individual responsibility, reading and math readiness skills, as well as logic and concentration skills. This program is geared to the individual needs of each child, which we believe to be the following: Children need to 1. Be loved and accepted unconditionally. 2. Feel secure by being accepted as a member of a group.
3. Develop a positive self image by getting to know one's self.
4. Gain approval and receive praise from peers as well as adults.
5. Develop independence by assuming responsibilities and making
choices.
6. Be creative.
7. Express ideas and emotions in a constructive way.
8. Develop in all areas: social, emotional, physical, spiritual,and intellectual at one's own pace.
Philosophy Behind our Curriculum
The philosophy behind our Montessori-based curriculum is that young children learn best by doing. Learning isn't just repeating what someone else says; it requires active thinking and experimenting to find out how things work and to learn firsthand about the world we live in.
In your child's preschool years, he/she will explore the world around them by using all their senses: touching, tasting, smelling, looking, and listening. In using real materials such as water, measuring cups, blocks, paint, rice, tools, plants, etc. and trying out his/her ideas, children learn about numbers, letters, sizes, shapes, and colors, and they notice relationships between things. The Goals of Our Curriculum
Blake Day School is not a daycare. Blake Day School is a school for young learners, a place where learning comes naturally. Therefore, every learning activity that is chosen for our school has a specific learning purpose that will help your child progress to higher learning and excel to unknown heights.
One of the most important goals of our early childhood curriculum is to help children become enthusiastic learners. This means encouraging children to be active and creative explorers who are not afraid to try out their ideas and to think their own thoughts. Our goal is to help children become independent, self-confident, inquisitive learners.
We're teaching them how to learn, a skill they will need for the rest of their lives. We give them opportunities to form good habits and attitudes, particularly a positive sense of themselves, which will make a difference throughout their lives. Other important goals of our curriculum are to teach logic, comprehension, and concentration. By using these hands-on activities, they achieve these goals by simply doing the activities.
Our curriculum identifies goals in all areas of development:
1. Social- to help children feel comfortable in school, trust their new environment, make friends, and feel they are a part of the group.
2. Emotional- to help children experience pride and self-confidence, develop independence and self-control, and have a positive attitude toward life.
3. Cognitive- to help children become confident learners by letting them try out their own ideas and experience success, and by helping them acquire learning skills such as the ability to solve problems, ask questions, and use words to describe their ideas, observations, and feelings.
4. Physical- to help children increase their large and small muscle skills and feel confident about what their bodies can do.
The activities we select and plan for your child, the way we organize the environment, select materials, plan the daily schedule, and talk with your child, are all designed to accomplish the goals of our curriculum and give your child a successful start.
What Children Learn at Home
Our curriculum works best when teachers and parents work together. Each of us has something valuable to contribute.
We are trained in child development and early childhood education. We see how your child acts with other children and adults. We also can assess what your child is learning, through observation, as your child progresses through common developmental stages.
But only you have in-depth knowledge of your child. You know best your child's interests, fears, joys, patterns, and past. You are most familiar with the world your child is trying to understand. You know about the relationships between the members of your family, and you have shared many of your child's experiences, from family events to trips to the doctor's office, or the zoo.
This in-depth knowledge makes you central to your child's learning process and is an extremely valuable resource for us as teachers at Blake Day School. Please share, with us, what is happening at home; arrival of a new baby, the death of a pet, nightmares, temper tantrums, trips, separation or divorce, etc. By sharing this information with us, we can understand your child better, and we will be able to help your child deal with both positive and difficult events through reassuring stories, soothing art activities, imaginative dramatic play, and extra love and attention.
We also see you as your child's first and most important teacher. Your home is your child's first and continual learning environment. You decide your family's daily routines; when you get up, eat, play, do chores, visit friends, and go to bed. The way you talk with your children makes a tremendous difference in how they think, how they feel about themselves, and the kind of people they will become. If we work together, we can provide some continuity between home and school to help your child become confident and successful. The more consistent we adults are, the more secure your child will feel. And when children feel secure, they are more likely to explore, to experiment, and to learn.
Many parents have asked us what they can do to help their children succeed in school. We usually reply, "Just try to encourage your child to explore and learn in your home environment the way we help children at school. Help your child become an independent, enthusiastic, curious learner." You don't need to buy a lot of special toys or equipment to turn your child into a creative thinker. The best thing you can do is to be a good listener and to talk with your child as you go about your normal, everyday household chores.
Sometimes, after a long day at work, this may seem difficult. But you'll find that this kind of attention has a wonderful effect on children and makes your job as a parent more fun and interesting, and sometimes easier.
Parents and teachers may look at their child's learning from different perspectives, but they share a common goal: making sure their child receives the best possible education. Mutual respect and communication between the teacher and families takes advantage of both perspectives to provide children with the kind of care and education that will help them thrive. Today's family members and teachers have many responsibilities and time constraints. It takes extra effort on both sides to build strong
partnerships.
Tips For Parents:
1. Listen carefully to what your child's teacher has to say. Remember that she spends a significant amount of time with your child and can share knowledge about your child's development.
2. Don't jump to conclusions. If you have any questions or concerns about your child or the early childhood program, speak directly to your child's teacher. Don't panic or merely commiserate with other parents when questions arise.
3. Remember that your child's teacher has a family of her own, and may share similar responsibilities and time constraints. Be as respectful of her time as you wish her to be of yours.
ABC's and 123's
Many parents are concerned when their children aren't learning letters and numbers using worksheets on a daily basis. They feel that daily worksheets and homework in preschool programs will better prepare their children for elementary school. We could give your children daily worksheets. We could drill them every day. We could test them. But we know that if we do, your children are going to lose something very important.
Children who are rushed into using worksheets before exploring the world around them miss important steps in learning and may suffer later on because they lack the foundation they need in logic and comprehension skills. If children are told what to learn and memorize by the teacher or parent, they may become more passive and dependent learners, and be less excited about learning something new. Children who are given plenty of time to discover and explore, however, learn to ask their own questions and figure out their own answers. They are responsible for their own learning. They see themselves as explorers, discoverers, problem solvers, and inventors.
We do use a few worksheets now and again to prepare your child for elementary school, but only after the foundation is set. Play is the work of young children and is essential to your child's future success. |
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