A child is exposed to more new information between the ages of two to six, than in any other comparable period in their life.  This is the time when a child is developing learning habits and traits that will form their individual character for years to come.  Recognizing this, we at Greenwich Village School, concentrate on providing the nurturing "one on one" learning environment, the children in this age group require.  This "one on one" method has been very successful in maximizing the mental, social, and confidence development of each child.  The primary goal of Greenwich village is to provide all of our students with the mental, physical, emotional, social, and problem solving skills that all children need to succeed in the elementary school learning environment and beyond.

Mental and problem solving skills are developed in several ways.  In the classroom setting, we begin with letter and number recognition and from there develop basic writing, reading, and arithmetic skills.  Each child advances at a pace that they are comfortable with.  Gentle encouragement is offered to aid the individual child's progression.  In this way, the child becomes confident of their new abilities before they move on.  During each session, children are taught to follow directions and are given choices in order to enhance their problem solving skills.  Memory skills are advanced by learning stories and songs and through "one on one" conversation.  We participate in many activities to enhance the child's creative ability.  

Physical skill development is very important for pre-schoolers.  We provide physical and gross motor skill development through both structured and unstructured activities.  We offer a large fenced yard with swings, slides, seesaws and other playground equipment, where the children can participate in supervised, unstructured play to aid in the development of large muscle groups.  Our children also participate in structured group activities, such as circle games, marching and general group exercise.  Our individual activities include coloring, puzzle building, and other hand coordination activities designed to develop the small muscle groups and hand motor skills.

As our young students prepare for their elementary school learning environment, perhaps no factor is more important than their emotional preparedness.  Daily attendance in a structured and caring learning environment is the first step in preparing our children for elementary school.  Additionally, each child requires encouragement and praise for their individual accomplishments in order for the child to become confident of their abilities and ready to attempt new challenges.  Family involvement is paramount during this process and parents are continuously apprised of each child's development.

Play time is a time for children to learn about themselves and about their social environment. They learn to interact with others in an informal atmosphere.  Formally, the children learn the social structure of a learning environment.

At Greenwich Village, it is our intent to provide a positive, nurturing and valuable educational experience for each child.  We stress family involvement to help each child make the delicate transition from home to school.  Our society's future looks very bright through the eyes of our children.

~Rosemary Reay - Director