Takoma Park Cooperative Nursery School

At the Takoma Park Cooperative Nursery School, we see children as innately creative and capable of great insight, learning, and expression.

This is reflected in our mission statement, at the Cooperative School, we nurture children as individuals while deepening their sense of connectedness and humanity. We stand as a community a community that extends far beyond the walls of our school where parents, educators, and children co-create a learning environment that stimulates curiosity, preserves a sense of wonder, and honors the spirit in concert with the intellect.

Professionally trained teachers and informed, committed parents draw out childrens unique interests to support exploration and learning through visual arts, music, movement, and dramatic play.

The Cooperative School presents a distinctive, research-supported early childhood curriculum defined by time, space, and place.

There are 4 Spaces for Learning the Classroom, the Project Center, Imagination Station, and the Outdoor Play Space. The 4 Spaces for Learning is unique to our Cooperative School and was created by our director, Lesley Romanoff, as part of our Through the Garden Gate curriculum. It was introduced in 2002 and has been refined and enriched by the teachers, parents, and children of The Cooperative School.

Each area provides the focus for different types of learning experiences. Activities presented in the different spaces support literacy and language development, fine and gross motor development, as well as learning in the sciences, math, and social studies. More importantly, the environment and exploration afforded by each space support the social and emotional development in our vibrant community of children.

In this, the careful planning of the environment and the materials offered, the school closely mirrors the Reggio philosophy of early childhood education and its stance of environment serving as The Third Teacher.

Projects and activities are revisited and elaborated upon based on childrens interests and needs.

By dividing the school into distinct areas of focused learning, we ensure that each child experiences fully all that the program offers.

Time and place allow the child to better explore and realize hidden talents and abilities, form friendships, strengthen skills, and enjoy the early childhood experiences unique to The Cooperative School.

Children move in either large or small groups focusing on specific experiences. Familiar activities like circle meeting, story time, fine and gross motor exploration, snack, and outdoor play occur every school day. Specials including movement, music, social dramatic play, and visual art are scheduled throughout the week.

The community we live in is also an important component of the program. Our place in the surrounding neighborhood as well as the cities of Takoma Park, Silver Spring, Washington, D.C., and, for the Tracks class, Baltimore, all serve as rich resources that sustain The Cooperative School and provide us with inspiration as well as destinations.