Monthly
Column
Common
Sense article for Squamscott Community Commons, November
2009:
By
Wendy S. Monroe
November, 2009
Great
Bay Kids’ Company has been providing quality early
childhood education programs within the greater seacoast
since 1967. But, what is early childhood education? Early
childhood education is not “day care” which
is a term often used to describe programs such as ours.
The easiest way to explain why the term is not appropriate
is to point out that we do not care for a day, we care
for a child. Thus the terms child care and early childhood
education are preferred for this field of education.
When
you enter any one of our programs at Great Bay Kids’
Company, you will see the true meaning of early childhood
education. At first glance, you may think that these children
are just “playing” and wonder how they can
possibly be learning. But, as our philosophy states, children
learn through play. Play contributes to the physical,
social, emotional and intellectual development of children.
Every area within each of our classrooms is carefully
planned out by highly educated teachers in order to ensure
children are learning while playing.
When
you see children building with blocks in the block area,
they are developing problem-solving skills, hand-eye coordination,
self-expression and they are learning about spatial relationships
and cause and effect. When you see kids playing in the
water table they are building math concepts, language
skills and exploring concepts such as empty vs. full,
heavy vs. light and wet vs. dry. In the art areas, children
are cultivating small muscle skills, discovering colors
and textures, developing creativity and expressing original
ideas and feelings. These are just a few examples of what
you will see in any one of the programs offered by Great
Bay Kids’ Company. Here, children explore their
surroundings and learn communication skills, social skills,
creativity, cognitive skills, fine and gross motor skills,
and establish self esteem. These are all skills that lay
the foundation to prepare children for future opportunities
to learn and grow.
Great
Bay Kids’ Company was drawn to the Squamscott Community
Commons project right from the start. Imagine as a parent
that you are able to drop your child off at our early
childhood education program and then have the opportunity
for him to participate in swim lessons at the YMCA as
part of their day. Or that you could drop your child off
at our program and then attend a yoga class or work out
on the elliptical machine at the Y before heading off
to work, knowing that your child is in a fun, safe and
educational environment. Perhaps your child could attend
art classes at Exeter Center for the Creative Arts (ECCA)
as part of their day. Another child that needs early intervention
services from Richie McFarland Children’s Center
can receive those services as part of their day at Great
Bay Kids’ Company and not have to leave the center
to be transported for these services.
All
this and more is part of the vision of the Squamscott
Community Commons project. The increased services, support
and collaboration that will occur among all of the agencies
at SCC will be key to the increased success of those agencies.
That is why Great Bay Kids’ Company backs the Squamscott
Community Commons project and why we are eager to move
into the building once it is complete.
--
Wendy S. Monroe, Executive Director, Great Bay Kids’
Company, Inc.
