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Introduction

Family with three children standing on a beach.

Dear Families,

I am continually in awe at the community that has wrapped itself around Little Explorers. Prior to opening Little Explorers, I spent six years teaching third grade and one year teaching special education in the public schools. I have my undergraduate degree in early childhood education and my master's degree in special education. Through my education and experience, I have learned that each child is a unique puzzle with a consistently growing amount of pieces. Therefore, I believe that children's needs and goals should be addressed based on their current ability and adapted as children change and grow.
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At LEDS, your child will be a part of a unique learning experience.  We strive to utilize teaching strategies that are adapted to the needs of each individual child. Children will gain independence through our Reggio-inspired approach to education. Our adaptable curriculum will be impacted by our student and family population as well as new and transforming educational research. 
 
Children will spend their time at LEDS discovering nature, reading stories, making crafts, playing music, socializing, and exploring different topics in our past, present, and future. We will learn, grow, get messy, make mistakes, fix mistakes, try new things, and have fun learning together.  
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Should you choose to become a part of our Little Explorers family, you will join a network of families that believe that children are natural learners filled with curiosity of the world around them, with adults serving as facilitators, observers and supporters of their learning journey. We hope that LEDS can become an important part of your family's story!

Warmly,

Christi Gillette

Teacher and young children in a circle on the grass.

Our Approach

01

Learning at LEDS is…

  • Child-centered and flexible by design

  • Built around what children are curious about

  • Shaped by watching and listening, not a fixed lesson plan

  • Grounded in current best practices in early childhood education

03

Our teachers…

  • Weave early literacy, math, science and social-emotional learning into play

  • Document learning through photos, quotes and observations

  • Respond to each child’s interests, readiness and needs

  • Learn alongside the children every day

Our curriculum: we are a Reggio-inspired school where children learn through hands-on projects that grow from their own interests, exploring provocations that spark questions and expressing their ideas through art, play, music, movement, building and nature. 

02

In our classrooms, children…

  • Learn through hands-on, inquiry-based projects

  • Explore provocations, inviting setups that spark questions

  • Express ideas through art, building, music, movement, pretend play and nature

  • Learn through play, alone and together

04

Other ideas we draw from...

  • Waldorf: natural materials and outdoor time in every season

  • Montessori: calm, beautiful spaces children can explore on their own

  • Progressive education: learning by doing, not just listening

  • Finland’s schools: breaks to rest and reset, movement and mindfulness

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