Indiviualized learning
The child is at the heart of Grow & Balance's philosophy. The early education years (0-3) are tender, and call for a boutique-like setting that invites an individualized curriculum, driven by the child's interests, and developmental needs.
I believe that the art of teaching hinges on holding a deep interest in discovering, respecting, and nurturing the child's innate talents and interests. I believe this is done best by sharing in the child's joy and laughter, attentively observing the child's classroom activities, interations with other children, and intellectual curiosity. The information I gather through this process serves as a guide as I individualize you child's growth and learning.
The classroom
The classroom environment plays an instrumental role in discovering who the child is. It empowers the earliest of learners to create stories, explore their imaginations, sing, dance, build, tinker and create! Grow & Balance has a 1:4 teacher to student ratio, for children, all of whom are exclusively taught by me, Christina McManus. (Certified Masters Level Elementary (K-6th grade Teacher).
Approach
My approach is informed by a wide range of contemporary and classic approaches to early education, ranging from the ideas of Loris Malaguzzi and Maria Montessori to the thought provoking approaches of writers like Sir Ken Robinson ("Creative Schools":The Grasroot Revolution That's Transforming Education). The result is a boutique-like classroom rooted in the latest innovations in early education, and the modern lives of 21st-century families.
