Welcome to a day at Meadowlark!
While each day is unique and special, there is a core rhythm to our time together. The heart of our program is creative artistic expression, outdoor free play, and nature exploration. We try to honor each individual with a high degree of choice and independence while maintaining physical and emotional safety.
We start the day indoors with "Morning Provocations." Provocations are creative, open-ended activity stations that allow for a variety of independent or group exploration. Materials and activities are set up on the work tables such as clay on one table, a sensorial station for scooping and pouring on another, and an art station at another table. Students come in and choose the activity they are drawn to and work until everyone has arrived and the energy for the morning activity starts to dwindle.
We gather for our Morning Meeting which includes songs, stories, and making a plan for the day and the week. With the Reggio Emilia approach, the students are co-collaborators and help plan activities and themes that interest them.
We have snack at 10am, and then go outside for an hour and a half followed by lunch at noon. After lunch, we settle in for some quiet time, to rest or nap, and to read books. After settling down and reading, we will have more creative play inside (similar to provocations). Students are invited in small groups for art, literacy activities, or social/group games.
Around 2pm we begin to prep for afternoon snack. After snack, we go outside again, alternating between outdoor classrooms, garden, sandbox, loose parts playground, and small group projects.
Our spontaneous emergent curriculum combine teacher learning objectives and student interests to foster a life long love of learning. Long uninterrupted periods in a resource rich environment allow the students to develop focus, collaboration, and joyful learning.