A Common Sense Kindergarten
Kindergarten can set the stage for a child’s school experience, laying the foundation for what kind of learner they become. Caulbridge School works to balance a child’s sensory-motor, social-emotional and academic development because to skip over any of these distinct areas will have consequences as your child moves through their school years.
Sensory-motor skills are the ability to receive and process information then respond or act accordingly. The healthy development of a child’s senses, spatial awareness, bilateral coordination and working memory are at the core of learning. Under-developed sensory motor skills may appear as a lack of focus, general resistance or hyper sensitivities, and children can be drawn to sensory seeking behaviors like fidgeting, pushing or rough play. When sensory-motor skills are strong, children are naturally curious, confident learners.
Social-emotional skills are the ability to understand one’s emotional life and to relate to others. Children learn to interact positively with others when they feel safe and trust their environment. A school environment of healthy rhythms and clear expectations helps children be confident and capable. This confidence in their own abilities extends to relating with others, with their learning and with their world.
Cognitive skills are the ability to think, reason and learn. Children learn by moving from concrete to more abstract concepts in a scaffolded way that builds on prior understanding. Strong academics require hands-on, experiential activities and continued practice.
Caulbridge School supports the balance of these skills through:
- time in nature, hiking, climbing trees, exploring
- developmental movement, cooperative games
- building and crafting, painting, music, handwork
- calm classrooms, quality materials, natural products
- healthy rhythms and routines, eating together, chores
- explicit teaching of academics and social skills
- supporting a child’s ability to self-manage
- partnering with parents
Our common sense approach pays attention to healthy childhood development which is at the core of all growth and learning: physical, social and academic.
