51³Ô¹Ï

 For the Children of the Early Learning Community

Our goal is to nurture growth in each child toward becoming a person who:

• Is a caring and compassionate community member, sensitive to the needs of others and increasingly capable of making and maintaining friendships
• Is increasingly self-aware and able to sense physical and emotional states, as well as identify and articulate needs
• Is curious, observant and actively inquisitive about the world, displaying wonder and delight in the process of learning
• Conceives of his or herself as a writer, reader, mathematician, scientist, artist and explorer
• Values the written word and is able to apply emergent literacy skills in creative and communicative ways
• Extends and refines gross and fine motor skills through playful as well as intentional activities
• Explores and values artistic expression in multiple forms
• Demonstrates a desire to explore, care for, understand and conserve resources as a steward of the natural world

As Early Childhood Educators

As contributors and advocates in the field of early childhood education, we are dedicated to:

• Providing the students, faculty and staff of 51³Ô¹Ï, as well as parents in the Forest Grove area, with a model facility dedicated to the education, nurture and care of their young children
• Meeting the needs of learners of many ages, backgrounds and abilities, in an active learning environment based on constructivist pedagogical practice
• Facilitating the implementation of a curriculum that celebrates and nurtures community diversity by modeling multicultural, multilingual and special education
• Developing innovative learning environments that provide learners with authentic experiences through the active exploration of manipulative materials
• Including art and aesthetically beautiful environments as prominent factors of an affectively invigorating environment                               
• Documenting and presenting children’s work as a fundamental tool to support their evolving understanding
• Collaborating with the parents and families of students as essential partners in the learning community
• Fostering the development of literacy in its many forms, including alphanumeric, scientific, technological and expressive
• Modeling the manner in which innovative educational technologies can be an important component of an early childhood learning environment
• Serving as an exemplary early childhood teaching and learning environment that will be an essential element of the teacher preparation programs. Providing all university programs with a valuable observation and research facility for the study of learning, child development and educational practice.
• Participating in developmentally appropriate research projects that respect children’s need for high quality education and care
• Providing an environment where 51³Ô¹Ï professionals can collaborate to model interdisciplinary multidimensional approaches to working with young children
• Serving as the catalyst for the establishment and sustenance of critical partnerships with the public schools and private educational providers in Forest Grove and surrounding communities