WELCOME TO THE BARN!

OUR PHILOSOPHY AND STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The Holway Child Study Center-The Barn serves as a laboratory school for the Early Childhood Education Program at Lasell College. Lasell students bring an enthusiasm and enrichment to our Center where they share their classroom experiences with young children.

We believe that young children learn through play experiences, intellectual challenges, and their social interaction with both peers and teachers. Young children need to explore at their own pace and in their own style while given ample and appropriate choices and experiences throughout the day.

We strongly believe that children have Multiple Intelligences (Gardner, 83).  Children are naturally predisposition to learning in different style and methods.  Some children are very visual learners while others are very tactile.  Some children are more musically inclined while others are very analytical and mathematical.  We strive to present each child with the opportunity to find which intelligence best suites them while challenging them to explore others.

The curriculum, therefore, offers a balance between planned and teacher initiated activities. Supervised free play allows children to explore areas that interest them and thus to contribute their ideas to the program. Children can best master and integrate information through direct personal experiences and free play while using a wide variety of materials is an important part of each day.

Children need to be nurtured by warm, responsible adults who are knowledgeable in child development in order to help children develop as healthy, happy, competent individuals. Our position as a laboratory school requires a highly educated and experienced staff. In addition we provide ongoing support for staff development as we encourage teachers to continue professional growth through in‑service programs, graduate work, workshops and conferences.

Along with these important basics, we add the following:

• Provision of appropriate developmental learning materials and activity areas, both indoors and outdoors.

• Aesthetically pleasing and inviting rooms.

• Impeccable health standards.

• Parent communication and involvement.

• Staff selection procedures that ensure teachers who will nurture children's self‑esteem and enhance their social, emotional, physical and cognitive development while applying the theory of Multiple Intelligences.

• A strong support system for teachers.