Welcome to Sunflower Preschool- a Montessori-based eclectic preschool with a maximum enrollment of 30 children per session. Although we are Montessori-based, we also incorporate National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) educational philosophies concerning developmentally appropriate learning environments.
The classroom is designed to meet the needs of the children's sensitive periods of learning. The children are encouraged to choose work and activities that interest them from a wide range of materials throughout the classroom and outdoor learning centers. As the children make their choices in our carefully prepared multi-sensory environment, they develop intellectual, emotional, and social skills, as well as a positive self-image.
The classroom is designed to meet the needs of the children's sensitive periods of learning. The children are encouraged to choose work and activities that interest them from a wide range of materials throughout the classroom and outdoor learning centers. As the children make their choices in our carefully prepared multi-sensory environment, they develop intellectual, emotional, and social skills, as well as a positive self-image.
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This expanded explanation of our philosophy is provided so that you can understand how we teach, why we teach in such a fashion, and why we feel that our methods are appropriate for the way young children learn. At Sunflower Preschool, our classroom is child-directed in order to stimulate development through creative play choices.
The staff at Sunflower Preschool successfully uses a democratic teaching approach, which we call team teaching. The opposite of this would be a classroom with one head teacher and the rest acting as assistants. Since the 1980's the team teaching model at Sunflower has been evolving. As the school has grown, so has the concept of shared responsibilities and teacher "ownership".
Sunflower Preschool is located on one and a half lots in a remodeled house in the South Boulder neighborhood of Martin Acres. The building consists of two large rooms with solar tubes and an additional sun room for the science museum and office. The openness of the school promotes the children's independence as they explore the multiple learning centers.
Sunflower has been a wonderful environment for our daughter. At Sunflower Preschool, children learn the art of friendship. Children are taught to be compassionate, caring, and just. Many of us like to believe that being a friend is something that develops naturally, but in reality it must be taught, modeled, and guided.
Sunflower Preschool encourages parents to volunteer. Some parents spend time helping in the classroom reading books, and/or presenting special projects to the children. In addition, we count on our parent volunteers to help with driving on field trips and to assist with our parties and celebrations.
