pedagogía | philosophy of learning

At Mi Casita, we believe in a strong image of humans (young and grown) as capable, creative, and imaginative.

Mi Casita, a Reggio inspired school by design, fosters an environment where children, educators, and the wider community ask questions and, together explore the process of answering those questions through play, open and guided exploration, conversation, debate, and connection to each other’s humanity. We consider questions that matter to our community and to the world at large. We slow down to center relationships through storytelling, warm and nurturing care, and a lot of listening to each other. Every day we ask ourselves: what kind of people do we want to be and what kind of world do we want to live in? And, as a result, what is the purpose of education, and how do we move towards that purpose?

We explicitly welcome children and families who have recognized special rights (needs) to be a full part of the Mi Casita community. Mi Casita provides structures, nurturing care, responsibility and accountability to meeting the needs of all children at Mi Casita.

¿who is Mi Casita?

The Mi Casita community will be richest if we let all members contribute in their distinctive way, appreciating the differences in race, color, ethnicity, roles, education, backgrounds, interests, skills, points of view, religion/spirituality, age, sex, marital status, familial status, national origin, ancestry, socioeconomic background, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability,  and gender identity or expression. 

¿qué es reggio-inspired?

Inspired, in part, by the philosophy of the Infant Toddler Centers and Preschools of Reggio Emilia, we believe children’s interests are central to the direction of curriculum. These are the pillars of Reggio that inspire our multi-disciplinary approach:

  • The environment is the third teacher. With this in mind, the team each day thoughtfully curates, designs and redesigns the classroom environment with the intention of peeking children’s interests, building on their knowledge, and encouraging both a deepening of their thinking as well as new explorations.

  • Open ended materials can lend themselves to thousands of possibilities. Through thoughtful planning, educators consider ways to mix artistic mediums with donated and recycled materials, and other resources to build opportunities to provoke ideas and thinking to build on.

    Educators intentionally build on prior knowledge. We intentionally present materials by thinking through their presentation and are excited by what is possible. Will the clay become a face? Will the towel paper roll become part of a skyscraper? Who knows!

  • Curriculum emerges from values, interests, and thinking that is being expressed in children’s play. Through cycles of inquiry, educators partner with families and children to make learning visible.

  • At Mi Casita, we believe a focus on process leads to greater flexibility of thinking. Prioritizing process over end product gives depth to learning by:

    -Encouraging risk taking,
    -Developing adaptability and,
    -Cultivating curiosity

    These dispositions promote stronger readers, writers, mathematicians, and ultimately, thinkers.

  • Educators are both researchers and the curators of material, considering ways to extend children’s thinking and deepen community and relationships. They may introduce new materials or jump into the play and model. Or perhaps they choose to stay back and consider ways they will set up the classroom provocations differently the next day. Children are free to do what they do best: play and explore!

  • We believe that every inspiring story has a protagonist – or, in our case, multiple protagonists: families, educators, and children. Together, we embark on a shared journey of learning and growth, creating a tale worth telling.

    Through engaging conversations and nurturing relationships, we collaborate to support and challenge one another. We recognize that what we do and say communicates values and we work together to be intentional in what we are implicitly saying with our actions.

    Together, we weave a narrative unique to your child and our community. This narrative is the story we want to be sharing with each other and into the future our children will inherit.

mindful spanish immersion

Mi Casita is a space that welcomes both Spanish bilingual families and families that do not speak Spanish at home. Our pedagogy around language is centered on the understanding that children at this age are developmentally hardwired to explore communication and language. We are mindful that immersing children in multiple languages while valuing connection is the key. Depending on how children have engaged with Spanish and/or English prior to starting at Mi Casita, we are not afraid to jump back and forth between languages. Because English is the dominant language for most children outside of school, we immerse children in as much Spanish as possible. We encourage children to engage all the linguistic resources they have while providing space for children to comprehend and express themselves in Spanish. We insist on playing with words and language, developing strong identities as multilingual people.

Spanish is the official language of 22 countries and the second most widely used language in the United States. With all those countries and each of their histories, the Spanish language is rich and varied. Mi Casita respects the Spanish that each person speaks, whether a native speaker or learning, with their own cultural references, idiomatic expressions and regional accents which enriches the experience for all.

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