Our approach
What play-based means at Buckeye Porch
Children choose what to do for most of the day. Teachers set out the materials, join the play, and ask questions that keep it going.
There are no worksheets and no drills. Children count blocks, tell stories and mix paint because they are playing, and a teacher is close enough to notice.
“Come and watch a morning. You will see more than I can tell you here.”
Three things to look for
What you will see in a room
Children choose
A child picks the blocks, the paint or the dress-up box, and stays with it as long as the idea lasts.
Teachers join in
A teacher sits on the rug, asks what happens next and lets the child answer.
The yard is a room
Outside is part of the day, in boots and coats, with the same time and attention as the rooms.
Come and watch a room at play
A tour is the clearest answer to what play-based means.