The Fairy Roses and The Sunflowers

Our preschool program is for children three to five years old. We have two preschool groups, each with thirteen children and two teachers. 

Our program is inspired by Waldorf education. Our curriculum has been developed by applying the principles of Waldorf education to the standards for early childhood education developed by The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), therefore we meet all of the academic standards of RIDE through our play based program.

Each child comes to us at their own stage of development, and with their own degree of readiness. By providing an environment where learning occurs naturally - through play, circle time, stories, open ended toys and materials, and activities such as gardening, baking, painting, seasonal crafts and care of the environment, each child can meet these experiences at his/her own level. Each child will take away from the experience what their own imagination, curiosity and cognitive development will allow. Our goal is for the children to develop a life long love of learning, curiosity about the world in which we live, self confidence, and a foundation for creative problem solving and critical thinking.  Socially and emotionally, we strive to imbue the children with the sense that they are uniquely beautiful, and to see the inherent beauty in others.

At BLOOM we follow daily, weekly and seasonal rhythms to provide the children with the sense of inner peace. These rhythms provide a sense of comfort and confidence in the children - they can predict that after snack is a nature walk, after story is lunch, after autumn is winter. The children's physical bodies are nourished with alternating periods of active and restful experiences; at the same time they begin to learn that there is a time for everything (boisterousness and quiet).  We also honor the children's deep connection to nature by celebrating the joys of each season through songs, stories, festivals, and time spent outdoors breathing deeply and taking notice of the changes in the world around us.

Photo credit Robyn Ivy Photography