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About Us
Our Philosophy
At the Stephen Wise Early Childhood Center, we believe
that children learn by doing. Play is at the heart of the learning process,
and through play our children are encouraged to explore their surroundings,
interact with their teachers and peers, and work with a wide variety
of materials to create, build and experiment. We provide a learning environment
that is welcoming, nurturing and stimulating.
Developmentally-Based Programs
 Our
programs are designed around all forms of a child’s growth and development: physical,
emotional, social and cognitive. We take an interdisciplinary approach
to learning, where children’s interests are integrated into all
areas of the curriculum. For example, a class that is interested in trees
might be encouraged to paint pictures of trees they have seen in Central
Park, read books about trees that grow in the rainforest, sway like trees
in the wind during movement time, plant seedlings in the rooftop garden
and cook with fruit that grow on trees.
The Reggio Emilia Approach
Our philosophy of teaching is inspired by the world-renowned
schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy. Our director and ten teachers have
attended study tours to Italy to learn about this remarkable and innovative
approach to education.
 Essential to the Reggio philosophy are four components,
all of which are emphasized in our classrooms. First, children are viewed
as the capable and competent learners that they are. Accordingly, the
classroom curriculum grows from the interests and passions of the children,
and depending on those interests and passions, a unit of study may take
anywhere from a week to several months to explore. Second, the physical
environment, which is regarded as the “third teacher,” plays
a prominent role in learning. An aesthetically beautiful space, with
lots of natural and open-ended materials, provokes both wonder and learning.
Third, learning is documented through books and displays containing the
children’s
own descriptions of their activities and photographs of the children
at work. In this way, children
may revisit their work to extend their learning, and parents receive
a picture of the process of learning. Fourth, children learn in different
ways, and as a result, opportunities are provided for children to use
the “100
languages of learning” through such varied activities as art,
movement, music, block building and dramatic play.
We are privileged to have experienced firsthand the inspiring
work of the Reggio Emilia schools and to be able to share their novel
approach to education with our ECC community.
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