We are excited to announce that we have begun enrolling for our combined Kindergarten/Preschool program for 4 and 5 year olds at Garden Gate. For many years parents have asked, “Can you please open a Kindergarten?” Now, more than ever, we feel the need to provide a learning environment that nurtures young children, that allows then to explore and grow in an authentic, joy-filled context.
Kindergarten at Garden Gate offers children a unique opportunity, an additional year of childhood in a setting that provides an individualized curriculum, inquiry based learning, a focus on friendship and community and ongoing commitment to preserve joy and wonder. This is what kindergarten was meant to be.
When Friedrich Froebel founded the first kindergarten in 1837, he was a true educational reformer who challenged the status quo and the accepted educational practices of his time.
Kindergarten literally means Garden of Children. Froebel believed that the best place for young children is a place where the child’s nature can be developed and nurtured. And he believed that learning occurs best through play, exploration, creativity, and educating the whole child through music, singing, dance, art, drama, movement, and the use of the outdoors.
At Garden Gate, our teachers understand the original pedagogical foundation of Froebel’s Kindergarten, and we have designed our program to continue these important concepts.
Use of the outdoors At Garden Gate children spend hours outdoors each day - our playground is designed as an outdoor studio and our daily walks inspire curiosity and wonder.
Importance of hands-on learning At Garden Gate our children learn through their relationships with a wide variety of creative materials, found objects and materials from nature.
Use of multiple intelligences At Garden Gate we embrace the idea of the 100 Languages of Children, an idea developed and celebrated in the schools of Reggio Emilia Italy.
View of early childhood as a unique learning period separate from formal education At Garden Gate we believe it is every child’s right to participate fully in their own childhoods.
Nurturing individual growth and development Individualized learning is at the heart of the Garden Gate curriculum.
Importance of the family At Garden Gate we believe that parents (and other significant adults in the home) are the child’s “first teachers” and we value parents’ participation in all aspects of our school.
The value of play At Garden Gate play is the fundamental basis of our early childhood, preschool and kindergarten programs.
The importance of creativity At Garden Gate creativity is nurtured through the arts, the use of materials, in creative problem solving and in imaginative play.
An understanding of children who struggle in school At Garden Gate our teachers support each child where they are, make accommodations and access resources to help children who are struggling with any particular aspect of school.
The need to challenge educational orthodoxy At Garden Gate our Kindergarten offers an alternative to many state and local school district mandates, testing and state learning standards that directly contradict what we know about how young children develop and learn.
Our class is a combined PreK/Kindergarten classroom of four and five-year-olds. Our Kindergarteners will all turn 5 by September 1 and will be eligible to enter First Grade following their Kindergarten at Garden Gate year. Please contact us if you are interested in learning more about Kindergarten at Garden Gate!
Kindergarten at Garden Gate is supported by a grant from the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Community Benefit Program.