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NEW & NOTEWORTHY PRESCHOOLS

They Have A Whole Child Focus
Little Dreamers uses an Italian approach to pre-school

A small school that focuses on teaching the whole child, Little Dreamers of NYC believes that "the development of a child's character is just as important as academics," according to the school's director, Carolyn Faith. Faith has an extensive background as both an educator and an executive in preschool marketing and management. "We teach children that they have choices in the way they want to live their lives, and our vision is to give them the mental, emotional and physical tools they need to achieve their greatest potential in life," she explained.

Many of Faith's ideas about what constitutes a nurturing, engaging and fun preschool environment derive from a teaching method, originally from Italy, known as Reggio Emilia, as well as from her experiences raising her daughter. Presently, classes are broken up into ages 2-3 and 4-5, although teachers gauge the development of each child, which can alter which class the child is assigned to.

Some class themes explored are dance, art, nature, vocabulary, imaginative play, baking, botany, gross and fine motor skills, and martial arts. Since part of the philosophy of Little Dreamers is that New York City kids should be given exposure to international issues, the school also teaches the kids languages, such as Italian and Hebrew. Another point of interest is a private garden for the children to play in. School days and hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m.to 6 p.m., with part-time programs available. Faith encourages parents to come and visit at any time throughout the school year.

-Danielle Sullivan