One morning at the Red Hook Playgroup kids were enjoying their snack when a few friends began to stomp their feet under the table. As they continued, many more friends began to join in, and for a few minutes, they joyfully took social cues from one another, collectively deciding when to start and when to stop the process, smiling and laughing.
With the teacher’s encouragement, the kids repeated this moment again and again. Soon, this kid-led experiment led to many-layered exploration into movement, sound, and shared experiences. Throughout the year, the school investigated sound-making in every area of our curriculum including art, nature, movement, dance, playing and creating musical instruments, and more. The children’s year culminated with a group parade in which they wore and danced together in their own individual wearable sound-making costumes that they planned, designed, and created themselves.
The beauty of Red Hook Playgroup is that each year is different, because each child is different and the community the children and teachers create together is the basis for the important learning they do together.
Red Hook Playgroup is a progressive, preschool on Columbia Street, a convenient location for Columbia Waterfront, Carroll Gardens and Red Hook families. They provide a rich, creative community based early education for children between ages 2 and 5. Their curriculum draws inspiration from both the Montessori and Reggio Emilia approaches; their year long investigations and materials-based focus are unique. At the core of their approach is the question:
What is most important to these children, in this place, at this time?
The teachers answer this question by carefully observing what children say and do and by offering materials based on the particular interests that emerge within the group.
Red Hook Playgroup offers programming including 3 and 5 day/week preschool, extended day, child and caregiver workshops, and summer camp. Tuition assistance is available for qualified families. Email us at [email protected] or sign up for a tour here.
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