Thank you for your interest in Little Dreamers! We know that choosing a child care arrangement for your child is one of the most important decisions you will ever make, because you are actually choosing a partner in the growth and development of your child and your family. Effective communication between parents and staff helps build mutual understanding and guidance, and provides greater consistency for the children. It is our goal to provide an environment conducive to optimal growth and development of the child as an individual, as a part of a family and ultimately as a member of society.

Little Dreamers philosophy is based on Piaget's theory that children learn by doing, as well as Erikson's framework of socio-emotional development. Through active involvement with their environment, children add pieces of information to what they already know, thereby generating new understandings of the world around them. By providing an enriched, stimulating environment filled with child-initiated, child-directed learning experiences we offer children the opportunity to learn and grow in skills necessary to becoming autonomous, productive individuals.

Development is circular, therefore we are sensitive to all areas of growth. Young children view the world concretely, and as they mature their views change. Developing physical skills lays the foundation for cognitive abilities in reading, writing and math.

By listening to how adults and older children use words, young children gradually expand their vocabularies. Environments become larger and richer as they learn to understand others and express their ideas more effectively.

As a child's abilities and self-confidence grow, they become increasingly capable of learning from their mistakes. They develop the initiative to explore, and to take risks. When they are encouraged to make choices for themselves, children experience a sense of control over their lives. The more they can do, the more willingly they will attempt new and increasingly challenging tasks.

Because independence is an outgrowth of trust, we maintain small classes and low child-teacher ratios. In this environment children can feel safe and are encouraged to explore not only materials but also their relationships with peers and adults. Children feel important and valued when others listen to them, seek out their ideas, and allow them to express themselves. They learn that what they do and say is important and has an effect on others.

So that you can see how our center is laid out and how we operate, we have enclosed copies of our center's philosophy, an explanation of our programs, layout sketches and photos of our facility and playgrounds, as well as students, staff, and activities. Please look over them and let us know if you would like more information. If we can be of any further assistance to you, please don't hesitate to call.

Sincerely,

Rosangela Valerio-Riazi, Director
Little Dreamers Early Childhood Center
Phone: (805) 379-3798
Email: