There are many advantages for a child in a home-based preschool. The atmosphere of home- based preschools can feel less like "school" and more like home so the children feel more comfortable. This can often help ease the transition from home to school and make their first exposure to education less stressful.

Also, since teacher-child ratios are smaller for an in- home preschool (1:6 for us vs. 1:10 for a center) each child gets more 1:1 attention develops and deeper, more meaningful relationships with their caregivers. Those relationships continue over the years the child is in care and the child can feel more secure with this consistency. Lower ratios and a home setting also mean there are more opportunities for special projects such as cooking or gardening - something not all centers are able to offer. Less children and caregivers can also potentially mean there is less exposure to germs and illnesses - hopefully keeping everyone well!

Furthermore, offering a mixed age group of 3, 4, 5, and even 6 year old children offers a chance for the older children to model and mentor the younger children while the younger children are often inspired by what they see their older peers doing and strive push themselves to reach the same goals. This can be a huge self-confidence booster!

Home-based preschool is a great option for families who are looking for these benefits! If this sounds like something you want your child to experience, Orchard View Play School is the place for you!

Yes. Play is vital to children's growth and development. It is through play that children learn to make sense of their world, interact and connect with others, and learn important academic and life skills. We observe the children to understand their interests and abilities and then curate the environment to reflect those while making sure to promote each child's learning and growth. So while the children are "just playing" all day rest assured that they are engaging in play that is purposeful and meaningful to them - thus ensuring learning is taking place.

Play-based learning environments can often seem messy but that is an intentional and important part of the approach. Since we are play-based and child-led we allow the children to take materials from one area to another as long as they have a plan and it does not hurt anything or anyone. We want the children to stay engaged and mentally stimulated and research has shown that messy play can help with this. By allowing materials to travel around the environment it let's the children create different play scenarios and environments that will let them practice creativity, problem-solving, conflict resolution, turn taking, imagination, experimenting - and so much more - all important life skills! Rest assured that although the environment can appear messy we always do our best to make sure everything is safe!

Rest assured that while the environment can seem a bit chaotic at times we have strict boundaries and rules in place to make sure everyone feels safe, heard, respected, and trusted. As long as the children's actions and activities fall within those boundaries, there is a lot of freedom for them to explore and create their own unique learning experience. This is a very intentional approach that is designed to meet the needs of all the children in our care. We don't usually directly instruct the children how to play - rather we set up and provide different opportunities within the environment and encourage the children to create their own play experiences.

In a play-based, child-led program we believe that learning is integrated throughout the entire day instead of during specific times or certain activities and lessons. It is well documented that children learn best through hands-on experiences and play. We also believe that instead of focusing on only the outcome of learning (such as demonstrating a specific skill on demand) the process is just as, if not more, important. We encourage the children to take risks, manage disappointment, make mistakes, and learn from their experiences so the next time they try something they can be more successful. These are life long skills that will help them as they grow. We believe that this way children will develop a love of learning and the life skills needed to carry them through the coming years of school!

Worksheets and formal assessments are not the only way to record and track children's progress. We regularly make observations and document what we see so we can track the progress children are making while presenting a more holistic view of the child. We will also communicate regularly with parents and let them know if we have any concerns that need to be addressed so we can work together to ensure your child's growth and development.

At OVPS we understand your desire to give your child a strong academic start and we agree that those skills are important. It's also important to note that a play-based, child-led approach is not opposed to academic learning but instead supports it in a way that is developmentally appropriate when each child is ready. Academic learning can naturally be learned through a child's innate sense of play and their urge to explore their world. It does not need to be done at specific times in a teacher-led way. What's important for us to do is TRUST the children and TRUST the process of learning naturally. And this can be hard. There are decades of research in neuroscience and early childhood education that show PLAY is the best and most effective way for children to learn foundational skills leading to better academic success in the long term as well as greater social-emotional skills. We provide opportunities for children to explore both literacy and numeracy through hands-on play in a developmentally appropriate way so that they can develop a love of learning that will last a lifetime!

A play-based setting actually gives the children the chance to practice self-regulation, conflict resolution, decision-making, and problem solving in a safe environment. We model appropriate behavior and scaffold children who are struggling with behavior management to do the same. We provide clear, firm boundaries and rules that are developmentally appropriate and will communicate clearly with parents when situations come up that need extra support so we can work together as a team to ensure each child faces success in their behavior management. This way we can teach the children to treat everyone with empathy and respect and to take responsibility for their actions to help them succeed in the future.

Play based, child-led environments actually help children develop self-regulation, focusing, and concentrating on a task for long periods of time. By providing large amounts of uninterrupted play we give the children time and space to create and then focus on an activity that is important to them. Children all develop attention and focus at different times throughout their development and we believe that forcing them to spend specific amounts of time focusing on activities that are not important to them will not encourage these skills to develop faster - rather it can deter children from wanting to participate in the first place. By letting them develop their ability to sit and focus naturally, we are setting them up for future success.

When this happens our first step would be to understand why. We will observe the child to see if they have any specific interests and then we would respectfully suggest to the child specific activities or materials we feel they might enjoy. Children are naturally drawn towards play and while some children jump right in, others might take time - and this is okay. Our approach is to encourage children to play and explore but we will not force any child to participate. We must also remember that although a child might not look like they are participating, observation is an important aspect of learning and may be the first step for some children before actively participating. Regardless of how active a child is in the play we always want the children to feel that they are trusted and respected as members of our group and we are there for them if they need anything.

By participating in a play-based approach the children are practicing all the early academic and social emotional skills they will need to be ready for Kindergarten and beyond. We are providing the foundation and love of learning that their future teachers will use to build upon. We also use the Oregon Early Learning Standards to help guide our practice to ensure your child is where they need to be before going off to Kindergarten or First Grade.

If there are any questions you have that aren't answered by what you've read on the website you are free to call or text us at: (971) 287-4433

Or if e-mail is more to your liking, feel free to send us a message at: ovoffice@orchardviewplayschool.com

We look forward to hearing from you!