EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
We believe that each child is a unique creation of God made in His image (Luke 18:16). We believe one of the ways children learn about God and His purpose and plan for their lives is from the Bible.
We believe that each child learns by actively participating, exploring, and discovering (Proverbs 20:11). Children develop new knowledge and skills based on what they already know and can do, through play, the examination and manipulation of concrete materials, and the use of all their senses. Learning activities should be built around the child’s current interests. Children must be encouraged to ask questions, experiment, make choices, and propose solutions. In so doing, they will learn to assume responsibility for their own actions and feelings, and they will gain confidence in acting on their knowledge of the Bible and of their physical and social worlds.
We believe that each child grows developmentally (Luke 2:52). To teach in ways that are developmentally appropriate requires knowing how children develop and learn, and matching to that knowledge the content and strategies planned for them. The Little Light program focuses on concepts and processes, using small group instruction, interactive learning, and active manipulation of relevant, concrete materials to build a solid foundation for academics within a context of meaningful activity.
We believe that each child learns by example (Deuteronomy 6:7). Teachers of young children should hold a biblical worldview and live a Christian lifestyle in their home,
school and community. Play experiences are structured to allow an optimal mix of individual, one-to-one, small-group, and large-group experiences. Planned group activities promote more skillful levels of communication, of social interaction, and of perceptual and motor development.
