At Sprout, we have a blended approach. We use current research about early childhood development to guide our programming.
We believe children learn best through play. Our program is play-based with some teacher-led activities and a variety of open-ended materials that allow children to build, create, pretend, and use their own ideas. We believe learning is inherent in every activity. As children play, skilled facilitators help them develop language and skills to compliment their explorations.
At Sprout, we love to support our students as they are busy developing physically, emotionally, and cognitively. Kids will enjoy a rich social environment as they experience what it’s like to be part of a group. With guidance, they learn to share, take turns, and communicate their feelings. We nurture curiosity and compassion so that children feel a deep sense of acceptance towards themselves and others.
We celebrate the diversity of our South Seattle neighborhood and strive to reflect this in our classes and materials. Children begin the year with self-portraits and we notice differences in our skin, eye, and hair color. At Sprout, we welcome conversations about race, religion, and identity. Kids repeat their self-portraits at the end of the year. It’s amazing to see their growth and pride.
We work hard to build strong relationships within our community. Our low child to teacher ratio (10 to 2) allows us to bond with each child and work with him or her individually, and to establish a working partnership with families and caregivers.
At Sprout, we use Positive Discipline. This is program developed by Dr. Jane Nelsen, based on the work of Alfred Adler and Rudolf Dreikurs designed to teach young people to become responsible, respectful and resourceful members of their communities. Positive Discipline teaches important social and life skills in a manner that is deeply respectful and encouraging for both children and adults.
At Sprout, we explore a variety of themes based on children’s interests. Some themes we’ve studied include Insects, Bodies, Families, and Outer Space. We read lots of books together and often do projects related to our theme. In the Grasshoppers Class, we incorporate mini lessons from a literacy and math curriculum called, Get Set for School. This is a Kindergarten Readiness curriculum with lots of hands on, and active learning.