Harmon Oaks was founded on principles of community and a passion to educate. Our goal is to give parents the ability to work during the day while feeling at ease, knowing that their children are cared for in a safe, enriching, and care-centered environment.
Our Philosophy
STEM, RIE, & REGGIO INSPIRED
As Children Grow, we grow with them
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While Harmon Oaks does not use one developmental care model, our curriculum embraces R.I.E, Reggio, STEM, and inquiry-based discovery and play as a foundation of our dynamic curriculum and philosophy. Our philosophy guides our approach, curriculum, and even our language with our littles. We see even our youngest children as very capable- full of thought, inquiry, ability, strength, love and creativity. This image of the child is reflected in our curriculum, environment, language and in our daily happenings.
In early toddler care, Harmon Oaks’ highlights daily routines, and believes strongly in the primary care system as the essential structure in fostering healthy attachment and growth within all domains. Nutrition, health, and safety, most fragile at this age, are Harmon Oaks’ principal concern. Acknowledging family as the first and most essential care for the child, Harmon Oaks works with each family to assist with transitioning, potty learning, and introducing curriculum to the young child. Parents are welcome and supported at the facility, and asked to attend community events, and participate through curriculum. Parent involvement can be coordinated with each child's teacher. |
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Growing from the immobile to mobile- standing, walking, and crawling give children a different perspective of this new world. As such, the healthy question of “Why?” begins, and the strong “No” becomes a favorite. These curiosities are cherished and nourished at Harmon Oaks, as children begin to explore with a unique perspective.
Each child's perspective, interest and development is taken into consideration when planning at Harmon Oaks. Invitations (aka activities) are planned, but never have forced outcomes. While preplanned activities, or invitations, have set and appropriate objectives, they are still flexible, open-ended, and allow for individual thought and creativity. In a simple statement from our founder, “Let’s not force our children to color grass green or paint the clouds blue. Let's ask them to look up at the sky and down at the grass, let's ask them to observe closely and deeply, let's ask them what they see and allow them the opportunity to create what is a reflection of their creativity, thought and development.” Creativity, confidence, and discovery are not wholly qualities that one is born and grows innately; this skills, qualities, and 'muscles' are fostered and very much developed. |
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Learning seems to take place at a rapid rate, where every new day brings new words, new ideas, and new obstacles to learn from. At Harmon Oaks we recognize that children not only learn at many different rates, but also in many different ways. Through play, daily morning meetings and story time, children begin to recognize structure at an early age. As they grow and mature, the curriculum gradually accelerates to foster the potential of each child.
Harmon Oaks emphasizes inquiry STEM based curriculum within all preschool programs, highlighting literacy as well as the math and sciences, through nature and the simplicity of play combined with structured and developmentally appropriate provocations and invitations. We meticulously plan our indoor and outdoor classrooms as we believe that the environment is the third teacher in the child's life. We integrate literacy and number sense into our daily play, and intent-fully plan through multiple faucets of play- art, nature, manipulatives, dramatic stations, sensory, small world play, resources, books, music, and gross motor play. Of course there's so much more that goes into the day to day that are just as critical as curriculum and approach. Follow Us on Instagram @HarmonOaks to learn more about our daily curriculum and overall philosophy. |
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