Philosophy of Kindergarten

     Kindergarten (“children’s garden” in German) is the formal academic foundation for a child’s entire school experience. It should address the physical, emotional, mental, relational, social, and spiritual needs of every individual personally as well as collectively as a team. Learning ideally takes place across all modalities: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, musical, inter- and intrapersonal, and naturalistic—creatively exploring an integrated, thematic curriculum through meaningful project-based and literacy-building opportunities. In any classroom, but especially in the Kindergarten environment, children should thirst for more, bursting with passion to share the day’s discoveries with anyone who will listen. This can be accomplished by using a garden metaphor: all sprouts need soil (basic foundation of facts/processes/application), air (freedom to move, grow, explore, especially topics of special interest to learners), rain (constructive guidance that brings loving structure and stretching opportunities), and sunshine (plenty of love and praise, encouragement to risk and become world-changers for the better…in a time when our society seeks to reconnect beyond a screen). Though still unmandated by the state of Alabama, Kindergarten has become a “given.” Our philosophy believes in returning to the way “Kindergarten used to be”—organic, community-based, multifaceted, and purpose-driven.