Curriculum

In fall we find seeds dispersed by animals, wind, and water.  We line up umbrella-tree leaves to measure our heights, and look for the furry covering of next year's flower buds.

In winter we spot cardinals, old bird nests, and icicles.  We smell the witch-hazel blooms and skunk cabbage, watch the dance of light on snow, and scurry like squirrels.

In spring we mimic the woodpeckers, chipping away at a log's wet bark to find insects.  We mark the seasons with song and dance.

Research shows that play is essential for cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being.  Play enhances self-regulation, empathy, and ability to concentrate.

Play in early childhood contributes to success in school and in life. Germany provides as interesting case study. Read more here. 

Children need risk because it helps them to develop good judgement, persistence, courage, resilience, and self-confidence.  For example, balancing on a log helps children learn to assess risk and make informed judgements.  To keep children safe we have a low 1:6 teacher-to-child ratio, yellow vests, and emergency shelters.

There are three types of learning related to nature:

• Learning in nature (doing a traditional classroom lesson outside)

• Learning about nature (for example, learning about the parts of a flower)

• Learning with nature (un-planned-for learning based on what nature presents and what the children show interest in)

While we use all three approaches, we primarily learn with nature.  Our lesson plans flow organically from opportunities nature presents each day.  Teachers support learning by asking questions such as: “What is different today?”, “How do you think it got that way?”, What do you notice?”, “What do you think it is?” “What else could it be?”  We align with Reggio Emilia in our belief that children are fully engaged when their own interests lead learning.

BOPN combines early childhood and environmental education by following the NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence in Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs. These standards emphasize child-directed learning, authentic experiences, making connections to previous experience, and culturally appropriate practice.

To guide our daily work, we use the standards from the book Lens on Outdoor Learning.  These standards align with our focus on developing habits of mind:

• Curiosity and Initiative

• Engagement and Persistence

• Imagination, Invention, and Creativity

• Reasoning and Problem-solving

• Risk-taking, Responsibility, and Confidence

• Reflection, Interpretation, and Application

• Flexibility and Resilience

Each standard has 3-5 observable behaviors that demonstrate the standard in action.  Developing initiative, persistence, creativity, and a capacity for problem solving are essential to future success in school and in life.