Children view the world through their own unique perspectives. Each child begins gathering, classifying, sorting, and evaluating information as it becomes available and as he or she is ready to receive it. Little by little, the experiences of life contribute to the framework upon which all learning is built.
Learning is transmitted and received through what a child experiences. These experiences should be directed in a progressive manner. To guide children in this learning process, Willie Price has adopted a developmental approach to learning.
A developmental approach to learning maintains that physical and intellectual growth is orderly and structured. Each child will go through a somewhat expected cycle of development stages. Even through this order of emerging skills is predictable, individual timetables may vary.
Each chid has a unique and individual rate and pattern of growth. Children develop and mature at different rates, but they all pass through development in a predictable and fixed order.
“The developmental approach to learning means an understanding that readiness for any task has its roots in a biological or maturation makeup of the child,” says A Gift of Time from the Geselle Institute of Human Development. “Readiness cannot be produced, speeded up or ignored. When children are ready, they will walk, talk, read and perform other academic functions with ease.”
The developmental approach to learning serves as a framework for planning curriculum and implementing instruction. Teachers use a wide range of teaching methods and age-appropriate material and incorporate a multi-sensory approach to instruction. Concepts are introduced, reviewed and reinforced by using the auditory, visual and kinesthetic senses of the child.
Language Arts: Willie Price uses a teacher created, literacy rich, child-centered and theme based curriculum. It uses a blend of phonics, whole language and creative writing to integrate language arts.
Mathematics: The experimental,”hands-on” curriculum, Mathematic Their Way, emphasizes a tactile approach to basic math concepts.
Science and Social Studies: We want to facilitate development of concepts about themselves and others. The curriculum is based on the process of interacting with materials, environment, and peers.
Learning Centers: Children learn “hands-on”, promoting language development, problem-solving and social interaction.
Computers: Children learn to enjoy and feel comfortable using a computer. Language Arts, math skills and more are reinforced on screen.