PHILOSOPHY

At Sprout, we have a blended approach. We use current research
about early childhood development to guide our programming.


PLAY

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.

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING

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.

DIVERSITY

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.

RELATIONSHIPS

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.

POSITIVE DISCIPLINE

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.

THE TOOLS & CONCEPTS OF POSITIVE DISCIPLINE INCLUDE
  • Mutual respect. Adults model firmness by respecting themselves and the needs of the situation, and kindness by respecting the needs of the child.
  • Identifying the belief behind the behavior. Effective discipline recognizes the reasons kids do what they do and works to change those beliefs, rather than merely attempting to change behavior.
  • Effective communication and problem solving skills.
  • Discipline that teaches (and is neither permissive nor punitive).
  • Focusing on solutions instead of punishment.
  • Encouragement (instead of praise). Encouragement notices effort and improvement, not just success, and builds long-term self-esteem and empowerment
CURRICULUM

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.

“It gives me great joy to see Jacob thrive at Sprout. The space is incredible—both outside and in—with plenty of room to run, play and explore, which is essential for an active two year old. Sprout allows my child to be who he is, and to explore new things in a safe social setting.”