The Room To Grow is a mixed-age, emergent curriculum progressive preschool for children three to five years old. We have locations in the Rockridge district of Oakland and the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. Neither school community has more than 26 families at any time.
Drawing on Reggio Emilia pedagogy, we provide the nurturing, encouraging framework children need to have the confidence to construct personal knowledge. Teachers act as guides and protectors, learning alongside children as they support exploration and new experiences within a logical and meaningful context. Project work always starts with the questions "What do you already know about that? And what do you want to find out?" The inquiry that follows encourages kids to notice, wonder, collaborate and resource the community. Children use many expressive languages to make their ideas visible, including art materials, movement, storytelling and dramatic play.
Equally important is the opportunity to build strong relationships, practice resolving differences, and creating a climate in which every child's story, their background and experiences, is honored. Social justice and social responsibility are emphasized in these early experiences of understanding and respect. The foundation we build our community upon is the practice of a democratic classroom, making agreements and decisions as a group after sharing concerns, ideas and solutions.
