Maggie's Early Learning Centre - Saskatoon

“To provide quality child care for children from six weeks to preschoolers; to provide a welcoming environment to parents in a manner that encourages parent participation and will lead to parent partnership with a Parent-based Board of Directors.”

Our vision is a community that provides excellent child care in a safe, nurturing, stimulating and happy environment with an educational component that ensures that every child will reach his/her fulllest potential.

We adhere to the following principles:

Maggie’s Early Learning Centre Inc. is licensed by the Early Learning & Child Care – Ministry of Education – Government of Saskatchewan. At the present time, we are licensed for 35  children between the ages of 6 weeks and until the day they start grade 1.

Maggie’s Program

The educational methods employed at Maggie’s Early Learning Centre Inc. are deeply influenced by the Reggio Emilia approach.

The city of Reggio Emilia in Italy is recognized worldwide for its innovative approach to education. Its signature educational philosophy has become known as the Reggio Emilia Approach, one which many preschool programs around the world have adopted. The Reggio Emilia philosophy is based upon the following set of principles:

• Children must have some control over the direction of their learning;
• Children must be able to learn through experiences of touching, moving, listening, seeing, and hearing;
• Children have a relationship with other children and with material items in the world that children must be allowed to explore andChildren must have endless ways and opportunities to express themselves.

The Image of the Child

The foremost principle of the Reggio Emilia approach is the image of the child. At Maggie’s, we believe children are powerful, curious, and ready to learn. We believe that children have rights rather than needs (Malaguzzi, 1998).

The Role of Teachers:

In the Reggio approach, the teacher is considered a co-learner and collaborator with the child and not just an instructor. Teachers are encouraged to facilitate the child’s learning by planning activities and lessons based on the child’s interests, asking questions to further understanding, and actively engaging in the activities alongside the child, instead of sitting back and observing the child learning. We believe parents, teachers, and children are seen as partners in education.

The Environment as a Third Teacher:

We believe the physical environment of the classrooms and Centre reflects identity, purpose, engagement, and communication. We use a wide range of materials to encourage exploration and investigation.

The Power of Documentation to make learning visible

Documentation plays a crucial role in the planning of future activities. Documentation includes children’s drawings, photographs, video recordings, and other representations that teachers and children revisit and reflect on. Children’s learning experiences are shared with parents and other visitors through documentation panels that are displayed throughout the Centre.