BELLINGHAM PRESCHOOL OF THE ARTS PROGRAM
Bellingham Preschool of the Arts offers 2.5-5 year-olds a unique early learning opportunity to develop cognitive,emotional, social, and multi-sensory skills in an environment rich in the arts.
We believe that merging academics with the arts is essential in order to serve the whole child.
Our arts-infused, learner-centered curriculum draws from the Reggio Emilia philosophy, where teachers often work on
projects with small groups of children, while the rest of the class engages in a wide variety of self-selected activities
typical of preschool classrooms.
Our program is designed especially for children who are developmentally ready for social learning experiences outside the home. We evaluate prospective new students' readiness
for our program based on this, thus we recommend this
program for children approximately ages 2.5-5.
We believe that merging academics with the arts in essential in order to serve the whole child. This is why we welcome art teachers into our classroom daily, thus allowing us to expose our students to music/voice, drama/storytelling, dance or visual arts.
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PARENT TESTIMONIALS:
Check out the following blog entry about
Bellingham Preschool of the Arts:
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We at Bellingham Preschool of the Arts believe...
Children who are involved in the arts:
-imagine, create, and express
-develop self-confidence and self-discipline
-think critically, solve problems, and make informed judgements
-work cooperatively in groups
-appreciate others points of view
-Are open to new pathways for learning all subjects
-interpret and reflect life
Art promotes hands-on, self-directed learning
Art engages children’s senses in open-ended play
Art experience develops specific skills:
Cognitive, emotional, social, and multi-sensory
Art enhances: verbal and visual creativity, eye-hand coordination.
Art builds spatial relations and visual literacy
Art promotes print and symbol awareness
Research on Art and Early Childhood by Ann Reyner, MA, ATR and Director of Training: Excellegence Learning Corporation
We believe that children grow when provided with the opportunity to learn freely through art, block building, books, imaginative play, science experiments, and manipulative toys. This is why all these are readily available are to them during free play.
We believe that peaceful interactions occur naturally when children receive the support, guidance and attention they need in the classroom - with enough materials and supplies to keep them engaged. This is why our staff is trained to support social competence. When necessary, we present our students with the words necessary to compromise and / or work through a challenging situation. Our next step is to redirect the child towards a different activity. If necessary, a staff person works one-on-one with the child, providing him/her with extra attention until that child is ready to return to the group.
We believe that children learn how to read and write through literacy immersion and through being provided with multiple opportunities to "read" and "write" in their play activities. Children are encouraged to begin writing their names on their artwork and dictation is often taken as they describe their paintings and drawings. We provide our students with various language learning activities throughout the classroom, such as menus and pads/pencils for grocery lists, and a writing/drawing center always available. Stories with rhyme, rhythm and repetition are part of our daily program, and picture books are placed throughout the classroom. We encourage parents to immerse their children in these activities at home. An excellent reference for parents is a book called, Reading Magic, by Mem Fox.
We believe in multicultural exposure and in the value of
honoring the diversity of our students. This is why we celebrate holidays or seasons in congruency with the families we represent, and also expose children to other cultural traditions.
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A great article about benefits of "play-based "early education philosophy...
This is a great article that really sums up my early childhood philosophies and why we do what we do at BPOTA! And it's written by Harvard professors, no less! :) Teacher Tina
By Erika Christakis and Nicholas Christakis
Bellingham Preschool of the Arts
1059 N State St
Bellingham, WA 98225
