Campus Kindergarten Philosophy

The teachers at Campus Kindergarten are professionally active and keep abreast of current research and thinking through professional reading, courses of study, seminars, networking and dialogue. The Campus Kindergarten philosophy is influenced by a number of theorists including:

• Malaguzzi: children as rich and competent; co-constructors of knowledge; one hundred languages to express oneself (painting, dance, words, drawing etc).
• Rinaldi: the pedagogy of listening
• Gardner: multiple intelligences; children express themselves in many ways
• Dahlberg and Moss: considers 'quality'; classroom culture
• Vygotsky: scaffolding, social interaction
• Froebel: play, kindergarten-movement
  
• Piaget: ages and stages; a basis or a guide though is restrictive
  
• Erikson: emotional stages of development
  
• Montessori: life skills; learning in stages; building on prior knowledge
  
• Steiner: supporting individuals; creativity; self-expression
  
  

The Campus Kindergarten teaching team are committed to a philosophy and approach that encompasses:

• A respectful image of each child who is competent and capable.
  
  
• The rights of children, parents and teachers.
  
  
• Education for meaning and understanding (holistic). Value human dignity, participation and freedom.
  
  
• Learning the intrinsic values of each individual and each culture in order to make these values extrinsic, visible, conscious and sharable. NB: Values are relative and correlated with the culture to which they belong: they determine the culture and are determined by it.
  
  
• The child’s role in constructing knowledge through exploration and relationship.
  
  

• The role of the teacher as co-researcher and co-constructor in the learning process.
  
  
• The documentation of learning experiences, revealing potentials that often go unrecognised. The concept of making learning visible (a process of telling important stories).
  
  
• The importance of the school environment as a source of well being and an educational force.
  
  
• The use of a wide range of media and materials to foster self-expression, learning and communication (the ‘hundred languages’).
  
  
• The value of differences (individuals, gender, race, culture, religion) and the value of equality.
  
  
• The value of participation, or, participation as a value.
  
  
• The value of collaboration among all participants in an educational system.
  
  
• The interrelationship and reciprocal influences of children, parents and teachers.
  
  
• The relationship between school and community.
  
  
• The enhancement of lives of children through educational-social systems.
  
  
• The value of play, of fun, of emotions, of feelings.