Our Purpose

Family Flex is an early care and education center that offers enhanced services to ease the demands of modern parenthood. Such services include flexible and extended hours, on-site enrichment classes and catered dinners, which are also available as take-out meals for families.

 

Our Educational Mission is to Provide:

• A nurturing, warm and rich environment where children can feel safe and therefore learn through exploration and play

• An environment where parents and teachers have positive, meaningful interactions about each child’s development

• Teachers who are trained in early childhood education and understand how to use the latest research on brain development to facilitate learning

• An atmosphere of teamwork, where everyone is striving to provide the best possible foundation for success in school and in life for each individual child

 

Family Flex provides children with a high quality environment in which to learn and develop. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) considers many factors when determining the quality of a program. A major factor is how well knowledge of child development is applied to the program, or how developmentally appropriate it is. Within our program, you will see we have applied developmentally appropriate practices in four major areas:

 

• Curriculum

Creative Curriculum

 

At the core of all of Family Flex’s educational efforts is the nationally renowned Creative Curriculum. A comprehensive approach focused on the whole child, the curriculum stresses the value of play in learning, the active and varied role of teachers and the effective use of assessment while integrating the efforts of parents, caregivers and educators.

 

For more information on the philosophy and its application, visit the Creative Curriculum Website.

 

We use the Creative Curriculum in all classrooms through which children’s social, emotional, physical, cognitive and language development needs are met. Teachers observe children to assess their needs, interests and abilities in order to create an appropriate lesson plan with meaningful experiences. Teachers utilize different teaching techniques for individual children and determine what level of teacher involvement is necessary. The classroom environment is conducive to problem-solving and encourages children to learn together.

 

• Developmental assessment of children

The Creative Curriculum is rooted in assessing the child’s interests, abilities, and needs in order to provide a program with a true focus on all aspects of development. When teachers listen and observe, they are able to engage a child in learning by posing questions, adding more complex materials or involving a peer in the interaction. Assessment also helps to identify children who may have special needs. The environment is changed monthly in order to regularly introduce new materials and concepts.

 

•Adult-child interactions

At Family Flex, you will see teachers respond positively to each child’s needs and communication styles, provide support and verbal encouragement to help children complete tasks and foster self-esteem by respecting and accepting the children, regardless of behavior. Teachers also help children develop self-control by setting clear and consistent expectations, redirecting children to more acceptable choices and facilitating conflict resolution to empower them to solve their own problems.

 

In our infant and toddler programs, we use the looping technique of staffing, in which teachers are kept with a small group of children and are moved to the next classroom with them to encourage attachment and trusting relationships.

 

• The relationship between home and school

Parents play a vital role in their child’s care and education. Parents are encouraged to volunteer time and observe the program at their convenience. Our teachers are committed to openly communicating with parents and sharing knowledge and resources with them. Parents keep teachers informed of significant changes in the child’s routine and home life, which, in turn, helps teachers understand and provide for your child’s changing needs and experiences.

 

We know from human development research that children go through a predictable sequence of growth and change. While developmental milestones are achieved within a general age range, children grow and develop at their own pace. Teachers understand this range and individuality and provide appropriate materials and experiences in their classrooms.  Here are some examples:

Infants Activities Shaking a rattle Crawling under or through Listening to stories Peek a boo Mouthing toys	Concepts  learned Cause and effect Problem solving Language – brain is being “wired” Object permanence Exploration with their senses
Toddlers Activities   Performing self-help skills (toileting, washing hands, etc.) Covering paper with paint Tearing paper for a collage Music/finger plays/dance Playing with play dough	Concepts learned Independence, self-esteem     Spatial relationships Hand-eye coordination Listening, following directions Tactile experience
Preschoolers Activities   Pretend Play       Pegboards Puzzles Block play Stringing beads	Concepts learned Socialization, problem solving Patterning (pre-math) Whole-part recognition Spatial awareness, perception Fine motor, hand-eye coordination