Each Young Children’s Community (YCC) offers a prepared environment for up to 10 children. Children are enrolled by age in response to the returning community of children's needs. We give the child freedom within limits and the ability to experience their environment, maximizing their ability to construct their conscious mind. The prepared environment is made up of two main areas; practical life and language, with a smaller area for manipulative specific work. Art and music are woven into each day with singing, dancing, and art always available to each child.
The practical life area is meant to provide purposeful work that is based on the activities of the home; self-care, and care of the indoor and outdoor environments. Practical life activities encourage and support repetition, helping the child develop concentration as well as aiding in the integration of intellect, will, and movement, among many other things. The language area provides materials that enable the child to transfer ideas from the concrete to the abstract and develop their vocabulary.
YCC DAILY SCHEDULE
Children enjoy uninterrupted work time each morning, community meals that they help prepare, toilet learning support, and joyful interactions with adults and other children.
7:00 - 8:00 Full Day drop-off
8:00 - 8:15 School Day drop off
8:00 - 10:30: Individual and group work cycle with morning snack
10:30 - 11:15 Outside time
11:15 - 12:15: Lunch time, including set-up, eating, and clean up
12:15 - 2:30: Nap time
2:30 - 2:45: School Day dismissal
3:00 - 5:30: Full Day care including afternoon snack, outside time, and free play including books, blocks and music
The children’s experience in the YCC also prepares them for the Primary environment, allowing for a seamless transition from one level to the next.
"Yet, in one year, two years, three years, the child is able to do what may take an adult twenty years to do."