Our Preschool Program

Inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy of Italy, Roots & Wings provides a child-centered, progressive approach to early learning. Teachers and children co-construct their learning experience through observation, intentional planning, creative environments, and active exploration of materials. Our goal is for each student to emerge as socially capable, creative citizens who love learning.

Roots & Wings is passionate about child-centered investigations, nature exploration, and the importance of an early start on social and emotional learning. 

Reggio-inspired Approach

Roots & Wings supports a child-led project approach that is facilitated by the teacher. As a class, we will explore both short- and long-term projects along with guiding experiences of open-ended discovery and problem solving.  The projects aren’t planned in advance and they emerge based on the interest of the class. We often times utilize information from the Creative Curriculum® for Preschool, which focuses on project-based investigations as a means for children to apply skills. It addresses four areas of development: social/emotional, physical, cognitive, and language.

The Bread Project is an example of how the students work through the different phases of a project.  

Nature Exploration

Roots & Wings is a certified Nature Explore Classroom!   

With this certification, our outdoor classroom includes the following: stage for movement and music, “messy materials” in our mud cafe, nature art area, block building, climbing beams, dirt and sand digging areas, spring, summer, and fall harvests, a butterfly garden, and more! 

The importance of being outdoors during the early years helps to establish a love of nature and an appreciation for its life cycle. By connecting with the natural world, children develop and grow into adults who care about the environment, and will continue to nurture it.

Social Emotional Learning

The Reggio approach emphasizes the importance of teaching children to be "good citizens" of the world.  Through our long-term projects, children learn about cooperation and in particular, how to solve problems and resolve conflicts. We focus on helping children interact with one another thoughtfully, understanding their own emotions, and thriving as part of a community.

Our curriculum is influenced from Vanderbilt University’s Center on the Foundations of Social and Emotional Learning. 

“In the Reggio Emilia preschools each child is viewed as infinitely capable, creative, and intelligent. The job of the teacher is to support these qualities and to challenge students in appropriate ways.” -- Louise Boyd Cadwell