EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
At Nature’s Pathways at 2nd Nature Academy, our experienced educators provide a warm, safe, and nurturing environment for children ages 8 weeks through preschool, prekindergarten, and interim-kindergarten. Inquiry, curiosity, and exploration are valued and encouraged using a multi-sensory, integrated approach to learning. We focus on individual strengths and value the uniqueness of each learner. Teachers also foster cooperation, positive conflict resolution, self-help skills, collaboration, compassion, and critical thinking.
Nature Pathways at 2nd Nature Academy's child-centered approach to educating early learners is both developmentally-appropriate and highly individualized, while our emergent curriculum builds the foundation for inquiry and project-based learning at 2nd Nature Academy Elementary, Middle, & High School.
Emergent Curriculum
Emergent Curriculum is all about following student interest and inquiry. Our teachers intentionally plan activities, projects, and the overall learning environment based on the specific group of children that they are working with. Classroom observations, reflective practice, and ongoing adjustments further tailor the learning environment. Emergent Curriculum is highly recommended by NAEYC, the foremost authority on early childhood education in the United States.
This student-centered model involves acquiring deeper knowledge through active exploration of real-world challenges, best preparing students for life beyond the classroom.
Age Groups
We believe there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to child growth and development. As such, our early childhood classrooms enroll a range of ages. This allows us to move children based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to: birth date, social and emotional skills, gross motor and fine motor development, ease of transitions, and communication skills.
Infants
Our infant and toddler programs center around developmentally appropriate practices and an emergent curriculum that foster and respect the natural curiosity of each child.
Early experiences have a profound effect on a child’s later development. The first twelve months in particular are the most developmentally critical. Great gains are made in a child’s physical, emotional, social, cognitive, sensory, motor, and language development.
Our caregivers provide a safe, nurturing, stimulating, soothing, and loving environment for your infant. They provide guidance and set safe limits while respecting your baby’s curiosity. By allowing babies to safely explore, our caregivers help your child to develop the confidence needed to try new things and develop skills.
A typical day in our infant program includes time for holding and rocking, feeding, tummy time, motor skill development, verbal interactions, musical exposure, supervised floor play, outdoor walks, diapering, and napping. At this age, children are on individualized schedules for sleeping and feeding.
Toddlers
Our infant and toddler programs center around developmentally appropriate practices and an emergent curriculum that foster and respect the natural curiosity of each child.
Toddlers are the busiest age group. They are just beginning to actively explore and interact with the world around them and are in constant motion. As such, the children need meaningful activities, engaged caregivers, and constant supervision. We provide a safe environment in which the children may explore and manipulate their surroundings without fear of failure or getting hurt. Caregivers provide a developmentally appropriate, play-based curriculum that is varied and engaging.
Transitioning from infant to toddler care also marks the transition from individual to group schedules. Our toddler classrooms feature group activities, set routines, and clear classroom boundaries. These are developed to best serve the children currently enrolled and remain flexible as new children join the classroom.
Pre-Elementary
Our pre-elementary programs are typically separated into three different age groups:
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Preschool – Children who turn three by September 30
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Prekindergarten – Children who turn four by September 30
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Interim-kindergarten - Children who turn five by January 1 and meet social and emotional development requirements
All children must be toilet trained to be eligible for any of our pre-elementary programs.
In our pre-elementary programs, we value cooperation, interaction, and willingness to accept challenges. We focus on individual strengths and value the uniqueness of each learner. While there are many curricular goals we set out to achieve, the process we use to accomplish these objectives varies from child to child. Our goal is to remain developmentally appropriate, and allow children to learn and explore in a way that is play-based and supportive. By providing diversified materials and numerous opportunities for observation, exploration, and inquiry, nearly all children will become true learners and problem solvers.
At Nature's Pathways, we recognize children as individuals with unique personalities and learning styles. Children grow and learn through the process of exploration and discovery. Each child learns at a different pace and acquires knowledge in a different manner. Children actively form relationships in various ways and obtain understanding through different approaches. In order for all children to successfully attain cognitive, physical, social and emotional development, our degreed teachers provide enriching materials, a safe nurturing environment, clearly set boundaries and expectations, and plenty of opportunity for exploration.
Kindergarten & Beyond
The pre-elementary program seeks to set children up for future social, emotional, and academic success rather than implement specific academic curriculum before the children are developmentally ready. As children progress through the pre-elementary program, they will be introduced to a variety of academic concepts and skills that will help prepare them for kindergarten and beyond.
Our pre-elementary program seeks to expose children to a variety of subjects, disciplines, and skills in an age-appropriate way. The program features (based on age and development):
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Art instruction to introduce different media and visual arts techniques
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Literacy skills rooted in the Orton-Gillingham method of instruction
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Inquiry-based, hands-on science and math
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Music and movement activities
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Multi-sensory fine motor and pre-writing activities that encourage proper handwriting techniques
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Outdoor play in playground and surrounding fields and forest
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Hikes and nature exploration
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Visits to barn animals
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Social-emotional skills development to encourage future problem solving, collaboration, and leadership
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Nurturing care to encourage confidence and self-advocacy