Curriculum



Our natural learning methodology means that we trust biology as a guide to understanding human development.

We ground our curriculum in the internationally recognized High Scope model, highlighting cognitive development through experiential learning and social-emotional intelligence through the building of authentic relationships.

We believe that children construct their own knowledge, and we trust children to seek out their own learning goals.

We believe that children learn naturally through play, and that their learning environment should be child-centered and child-led.












We support young learners' playful experiments as the subject matter for building holistic, integrative understanding.



When children throw rocks, collect leaves, watch animals, or build with sticks and mud, we echo their questions and observations. We notice them constructing knowledge about distance and measurement weight and comparison color and counting life cycles and nutrition as well as, community, empathy, and communication. Adults and children work together wondering about our collective questions. Caregivers look for ways to provide materials or opportunities for further exploration. We talk about ideas, read about specific topics that kids bring up, and value kids' experimentation in play.Elements natural learning curriculum develops self-awareness, confidence, and responsibility in natural balance with a growing awareness of others. We seek to help each child to see themselves as an essential part of a community within the larger environment and world.


MATH AND SCIENCE



We naturally learn math and science principles by counting, separating, categorizing, dividing, sharing, comparing, tallying, and mapping. We observe life cycles, growth patterns, habitats, experiments, and investigate the biological foundations for organism behaviors.




ART AND CREATIVE EXPRESSION





Children naturally approach the world with creativity. We paint, dance, draw, play music, create stories, dramatic play, dress-up, and sing. Without conventional toys in the woods, children dream themselves to be so many things, letting their imaginations run wild. Our artistic supplies are pine cones and leaves, flowers and bark, seeds, wood, plants, and trees!

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Language and Literacy





In this program children are immersed in language. Adults echo, reflect, and discuss experiences with children as they happen, expanding communication and language skills. Children explore language and literacy through symbolic representations, pretend writing, drawing, playing with letter sounds and rhyming, reading, listening, storytelling, and explaining. .



elements




11 South Grove st.
Ypsilanti, MI
48198


(734) 369-3357