Our Approach

The Family Center at Brooklyn Friends School is an early childhood program designed to meet the developmental needs of two-year-old children. In a nurturing, child-centered environment, children begin to discover the world outside home and family and learn about themselves in the context of a community of peers.

Play is Essential

We believe that play is essential to the development of young children. Through play, children explore an enriched environment that encourages making choices while building independence and autonomy. Children are able to construct knowledge and language develops through active, concrete interactions with the people and materials in their environment. Exploration and hands-on, experiential, open-ended activities allow children to find their level of competency and ability as they continue to grow, thrive and develop. New concepts develop and build upon the children’s prior experiences and learning.

Our curriculum is child-centered, focusing on separation and the social-emotional growth of young children as they learn through play. With teachers acting as facilitators in the learning process, children are encouraged to explore and discover in a classroom community.

Our teachers are trained in Early Childhood Development. This knowledge provides teachers with an understanding of where the child is, has been and is going. This allows them to create a classroom environment that supports each individual child as well as create a unique classroom community.

Cultivating Enthusiastic Learners

The “academics” (language, literacy, social studies, math, science, art, music) are integrated into every part of the day; even when children are playing outdoors, they are building the foundations necessary for more academic, structured learning in later years. 
In this environment, children gain confidence and become self-directed, motivated learners. It is important to develop a love of learning as well as learning how to learn.

Playdough is a wonderful example of how children learn through doing. Click here to see our favorite playdough recipe and for a deep-dive into how making the playdough as a class presents opportunities for learning.

When children feel comfortable and secure to explore, experiment, create, inquire, celebrate and use their imaginations, they become enthusiastic learners. They have a wonder and joyful sense of the possibilities that their expanding world offers.

The daily schedule allows for group time, small group activities and individual play. Young children thrive on consistency and predictability. They feel safe and secure when they know what to expect and what is expected of them. School skills develop - using your words, listening, waiting and taking turns. Clearly designated areas are appropriately equipped and children are able to participate and interact at their individual levels of development.

Art and Music as Sources of Joy

Art at the Family Center is embedded in everything we do. Through art, children develop fine motor coordination, awareness of color/shape/size/texture, spatial relations, and an awareness and understanding that symbols have meaning. Just as importantly, art can serve as a source of joy and expression; this emotional outlet is especially important for children justa beginning to use language.

When you walk into a room at the Family Center, you'll see children's art take center stage on the walls. In this way, they develop pride in their work while also getting inspiration from their peers' artistic explorations. Importantly, the art experiences in the classroom are open-ended and focused on exploration. For example, children are given daily opportunities to paint at the easel, where they have the chance to explore color mixing, a variety of tools to use as paintbrushes, and the expansive possibilities of a blank piece of paper. Rather than cookie-cutter projects where the goal is to have everyone create nearly-identical products, children are exposed to a wide variety of materials and mediums and are encouraged to explore them however they see fit. This spontaneity allows the children to see themselves as creators and enables them to experience the art viscerally and in an exploratory way. This is how true creativity is fostered.

At the Family Center and in life, music is to make, to use and to enjoy. It is a direct experience that should be a part of every school day. Singing happens throughout the day, not just during a designated music portion of the day or week. Songs during daily Circle Time bring a sense of familiarity and community, and singing during transitions helps children move from one activity to the next. As we sing and do finger plays, the children also use their imaginations and improve coordination. An appreciation for the patterns and the musical variety produced by rhythms and melodies can begin to develop. Additionally, we listen to a diverse collection of music throughout the school day. Most important at this age is that the children should simply love music and always find joy in participating in singing and listening. Music is and should be accessible to everyone.

Beyond the singing that happens in the classroom with teachers, children also experience a weekly music class with a local musician who specializes in folk music in the early childhood environment. The class, like all music at the Family Center, is designed to be fully participatory, in both body and voice, and you’ll frequently see children dancing along as they sing.

Predictable Routines Make Children Feel Secure

Routines and schedules provide consistent, predictable experiences so children feel secure. A typical day will alternate active and less active times to follow the rhythms of young children.
 As children start their day, they are brought into the classrooms and the adult helps them settle before saying good-bye. There is a period of play where children are able to make choices, explore all areas of the classroom and participate in the special activities happening that day. This may be followed by a special time for music or dance. Mid-morning is snack time. It may be something they made themselves or healthy, new food to try. This will be followed by a time for everyone to go to the bathroom and practice their developing self-help skills.

An important part of every day is Circle Time when the whole class comes together to sing songs, talk about the day and listen to a group story.
 Every day has opportunities to be active in an outdoor or indoor play space running, jumping and climbing.

For information about our full- and part-time schedules, including full- and half-day, click here.

Family Partnerships are Critical

We value the partnership between school and family. With open, two-way communication, we are able to best meet the needs of each child and family. 
Young children do not always talk about their day, and we recognize that parents want to know what is happening. Communication with the teachers through notes, websites and conferences are ways we can share the children’s busy days. Whether it's to share the name of a book we read that day or a fun exploration we did, families are kept well-informed about what happens during the day. Additionally, we invite parents to come into the classroom to share a talent, family tradition or just spend time in the classroom sometime during the year.

Coffee hours, where parents come together for a guided but open conversation about a topics related to this age, help to build a bridge between home and school while also building a strong bond among parents. Past topics include potty training, siblings, and routines at home.

Additionally, Sara Soll is always available to talk to each family about individual challenges, concerns, and questions.

Parent Teacher Conferences are scheduled twice a year to provide an opportunity for teachers to share in more detail what each child is doing.
 We will have opportunities for parents to gather to discuss issues relevant to them collectively and be a supportive resource to each other.