Ms. Marie

It has always been an absolute dream of mine to have my home daycare. I’ve raised my three children and have an associate, bachelor and master’s degrees in early childhood education. I did pre-practicum in preschool and kindergarten in the public schools. I started working with children as a teacher in a daycare center 4 years ago. I have so much to provide to little ones. I especially love to read books, sing and to tell stories to the children, but the truth is that so many parts of the day bring a lot of joy and fun. Through it all, I focus on allowing children to express themselves. One of the best parts of working with children is that they are all different. The work is incredibly rewarding, especially when I think about all the children I’ve helped grow and learn. It’s such a gift to guide the children in my program as they grow. I am very proud to be a part of my community. This gives me the opportunity to create the welcoming. Nurturing environment that I think is so important. I believe children learn best when they have a good relationship with their teachers. This creates a positive interaction with secure attachment that make the children feel good about themselves in their surroundings. The children learn how to play cooperatively, take turns, improve their language as they communicate with one another.  Having 2-5 years old in my program requires me to know zone of proximal development of each child in order to I use modeling, and scaffolding strategies with visual aids to support an individual child’s learning. This experience will give them unforgettable feelings of being loved that they will carry into their adulthood, and help them to build a positive relationship with others. As a teacher, of young children, I must meet goals and expectations for each child’s learning.

I believe children learn best through educational lessons that allow them to explore, so when independence is fully guaranteed they are able to make their own choices. We have meaningful goals and objectives as well as free play activities that allow children to problem solve. They use their imagination, through struggles and mistakes to see what will happen. The children find the answers to their questions and develop self-guided skills. In my program, I want parents to know that I treat all the children the same and equally by providing access to the same curriculum and materials to all. Parents and children become part of one family here. I agree with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) position on the statement responding to linguistic and cultural diversity which states that “Recommendation for working with children recognize that all children are cognitively linguistically and emotionally connected to the language and culture of their home.” I believe that diversity should be highlighted in the classroom environment by allowing individual child to make a needed adjustment while fostering the acquisition of a new language. We focus on every child’s level of knowledge in consideration with respect to the first language and cultural background. We modify the lesson to meet everyone’s learning ability and needs. Having a small group of children in my home-based program is great because I want all to look forward to coming here, and this setting makes that possible. I use my knowledge and prior experiences to adjust my program and meet individual children's needs, and I focus on exploration and imagination. We follow a daily routine that can vary according to child age and interest. Beginning with drop off and breakfast, morning meeting, most days include curriculum-based lessons and activities, free play, motor skills development, nap time and evening meeting. My favorite time is dramatic play. I love to see their personalities and interests develop and shine through.

I have dedicated the first floor of my home in Whitman to my program. The space is very comfortable and I know this becomes like a second home to many children.
I believe that children learn best in an environment that is well organized to facilitate learning and positively influence children’s behavior. My home environment displays a meaningful message in the different areas and the children become aware of what to do there without asking for help from the adult. The areas are: dramatic play, independent work, arts and crafts, science, library, Math, language, and physical area. The shelves are at the children’s level and encourage self-help skills. My environment helps the children to make good choices and let each one feels that she belongs there. There is also access to my outdoor environment which is completely surrounded by a vinyl fence.