Our Philosophy
A community of young learners who thrive with purpose
Student-centered education
based on inquiry, critical thinking and life skills
At Big and Tiny we find inspiration and expand in the principles of Reggio Emilia philosophy. We celebrate the great potential of each child and believe in research-driven practice.
Children at Big and Tiny take the lead in planning and carrying out questions, investigations, proposing explanations and solutions, and communicating their understanding of concepts in a variety of ways.
Methodology
At Big and Tiny provide children with meaningful learning tools and experiences. Through observation and documentation, teachers are able to develop an emergent curriculum unique to each child. This learning experience and documentation encourages children to become deeply involved and self-motivated in the learning process and develop a love for learning.
Children-Centered
We believe that children are innately talented and we celebrate children's creativity and ability to construct their own knowledge through in-depth investigation and research.
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Our emergent curriculum is based on the interest of the children and positions the child as an active participant. Students at Big and Tiny construct their own knowledge through a carefully planned curriculum that engages and builds upon the child’s current knowledge.
Teachers
​Teachers at Big and Tiny are partners in the learning process and co-collaborators in children's discoveries and creations. They carefully listen, observe, reflect and document on the students to build and adjust the curriculum and learning.
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Teachers ultimate role is to intentionally engage children in meaningful work and to discover their abilities, interests, needs and skills and bring them into the learning experience.
Environment
At Big and Tiny we see the environment as an extension of the learning. The layout of the classrooms, and materials is purposely designed to foster communication, exploration and collaboration.
Children in Big and Tiny engage in outdoor activities on a daily basis. These outside activities provide students an opportunity to connect with nature in a deeper level.
Our neighborhood – including parks, museums, libraries and other local business– are considered part of the school's "campus," and we incorporate these experiences into the curriculum.
Documentation
We collect work samples, photographs, and videos to document the children’s learning process. At the end of the school year, parents receive their child’s Portfolio highlighting their progress.
Our learning wall is the visual display of artifacts gathered together that represents students’ thinking about different issues and topics. This is, the journey of the group’s thinking over the entire year.