Our Program

Our program at The Ridge offers a progressive, unique look at Early Childhood Education. We view children as competent, full of wonder, willing to investigate, critique, reflect, and collaborate. This understanding shapes our decisions about how to arrange our environment, schedule our days, and plan our curriculum. We do not rely on one specific type of preschool curriculum, instead we research the best of what is available and offer an inspiring, developmentally appropriate program with a curriculum that is guided by each child’s unique interests. Young children learn by doing, touching, experimenting, choosing, talking, and negotiating. Everything is potential curriculum for young children. An unexpected question often leads to an interesting discussion, development of a new project or activity, or an opportunity for a parent to share a special skill with the children. Our child-centered approach requires the teacher to look carefully at children and create an adaptable program that meets their needs.

At The Ridge we support the whole child. Throughout the day children have multiple experiences to grow socially, emotionally, physically, intellectually, and creatively. Through interactions with their peers, children begin to explore the idea of friendships and gain the confidence, self-esteem, and negotiating skills necessary for a lifetime of healthy relationships. Physical development occurs both inside the classroom and in our outdoor areas. Games, dances, yoga and outdoor play give children the opportunities they need to investigate their bodies and interact with the natural world around them. Our space is set up with thought provoking, high quality materials that can be explored in a variety of ways. Intellectual and creative growth occur side by side as children build, question, create and explain ideas with their teacher and peers. Our indoor space has areas set up for scientific exploration, building and construction, mathematics, dramatic play, literacy, and a wonderful art studio with a variety of unique materials including clay, tiles, recycled materials, and watercolors. Outdoors we have a beautiful and inviting natural playscape and organic garden which were built with the help of The Ridge families.

Our daily rhythm refers to the schedule of our daily activities. The activities are structured in such a way that there is movement between group and individual activities, project based work and open ended imaginative play and explorations. As we move throughout the day we are mindful of the children’s different needs and moods. Also, we are respectful of the children’s internal rhythms and the routines that they create as a group. Therefore, the times indicated below may not always be precise, but provide us with a guideline to facilitate the daily rhythm.