About the Playschool

West Chester Playschool, Inc., is a non-profit preschool, operated and administered by parents. Families combine their talents, along with certified teachers, and work together to create a better school environment for their children. Parents assist in the classroom, as well as in the development of the Playschool's programs and policies.

West Chester Playschool, Inc.
725 West Miner Street
West Chester, PA 19382
(610) 692-6538
fax: (610) 692-6508
westchesterplayschool@gmail.com
Debby Louis, Director

Our Philosophy

• Every individual is unique.
• Growth takes place in orderly sequences in each individual.
• The physical, cognitive and socio-emotional aspects of development are interrelated.
• The child's thought and language is quantitatively different from the adult's.
• Children should be actively involved in their own learning process. It is through direct exploration and manipulation that children construct knowledge of the world.
• Play is a learning medium. It contributes to all types of learning (social, cognitive, physical and emotional).
• Interest and learning are facililitated in the experience presented to the child bears some relevance to what he/she already knows, but at the same time is sufficiently novel to present incongruities and conflicts.
• Social interaction, particularly when it is centered around relevant physical experience, promotes intellectual and social growth.
• Personality development (the affective-social areas) depends on the presence of adequate and sustaining personal relationships, opportunities for learning and for self-expression, and guidance appropriate to each stage of a child's growth.

 

General Developmental Goals for Children

Socio-emotional:
To have a positive self-image
To show respect for the feelings and thoughts of others
To have a sense of belonging to the group and group cooperation
To learn appropriate ways of acknowledging and expressing emotions
To be able to coordinate different points of view
To have a sense of independence and autonomy
To be able to cope with separation, failure, fear, disappointment and change
To be self-started and self-finished
To be able to become involved with other children and materials and to sustain play

Cognitive:
To develop an intellectual curiosity
To develop varied interests and tastes
To develop a sense of exploration and experimentation
To develop the cognitive processes necessary to cope with life
To develop the processes necessary to put things into relationships
To refine speaking and listening skills
To develop an ease for expressing one's ideas and feelings to others
To be able to follow directions

Physical:
To develop coordination and balance
To strengthen and control large and small muscles
To develop competence in dealing with one's physical environment

 

Advantages

Because a cooperative program creates a learning environment for all those involved, many advantages are offered to children, parents and teachers.

For the children, the opportunity to know different people — other children their own age with whom they can identify, parents other than their own, and teachers who guide them in supervised play and learning experiences.

For the parents, a new appreciation of their own child as a separate person. Parents gain insight into their tasks as parents, and with the teacher become co-workers in the educational task of supporting the child in developing his/her own talents and in gaining self-confidence.

For the teachers, a broadened professional insight by working closely with parents as well as the children, and greater skill in leadership through group techniques that invite teamwork and leadership from others.

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