Infants and toddlers are served in the center through a cohort group model based on the age of the child at the point of enrollment. A “continuity of care” structure establishes a primary care-giver for each infant among the staff.
Our early childhood education model treats children as competent, resourceful, curious, imaginative and inventive. This vision of the child as a competent learner results in a strong child-directed curriculum model. This approach recognizes the role of the environment-as-teacher and relates to the school environment as an integral part of the learning process. Children regularly receive encouragement to describe their own personal experiences and culture in relation to classroom stories.
Educare's Educational Philosophy is based on the belief that young children learn naturally and best through meaningful play. Therefore, the teacher's role is to facilitate play by providing children with hands-on activates. This designed play engages the child's mind and body in exploration and discovery. We believe that children learn best within the context of a supportive community.
Our aim is to create a learning environment, which supports nurturance, respect, cooperative endeavor and collective problem solving. Educare Milwaukee is committed to reflective practice and supervision. This way of working provides many opportunities for staff to develop and fine tune professional skills. Staff members meet frequently with program managers and one another to problem solve, reflect, sustain and assess the ongoing work.
The Educare Center of Milwaukee
The overall Educare center architectural design stems from the premise that the environment is considered the “third teacher.” Most educational environments are not designed from the child’s point of view nor are mindful of his/her emotional, social, and cognitive development needs. The Educare design intentionally includes childlike and whimsical aspects that encourage a child to “see and feel” through its use of scale and variations in color, texture, and patterns.
Visual space and windows allow teachers, children, and parents to maximize their involvement because: