YMCA - Snohomish Rockefeller

Our philosophy strongly emphasizes a multi-sensory approach to learning. Teachers create a familiar and secure, yet engaging environment allowing children to explore and experience at their own pace. Theme-related materials are introduced into the environment regularly to bring together relevance and meaningful interactions. Teachers are trained in age-appropriate emotional recognition and coaching. Children are taught to recognize their feelings, work to express their emotions in meaningful ways, and to empathize with their peers. We also build on individual strengths to help children become enthusiastic learners. This means encouraging them to be active and creative explorers willing to try out their own ideas, experiment with their interactions, thereby learning to think and evaluate for themselves. The activities we plan for children, the way we organize the environment, select toys and materials, plan the daily schedule, and talk with children, are all designed to accomplish our overall goal of developing the whole child and fostering school readiness.