This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Charles River School to Host Free Workshop

Explore High Quality Early Childhood Programs during Free Workshop on February 25

Dover’s Charles River School to Host Early Childhood Education Evening for Local Parents

Sifting through options and making a decision about early education for your child can be a daunting task. Charles River School, an independent co-ed school for PreKindergarten through eighth grade located in Dover, MA, will host a free presentation and workshop on February 25, 2014 – designed to help parents understand what high quality early childhood education looks like and demonstrate through research how it can lay the groundwork for lifelong learning and enhanced academic and executive skills. The presentation and workshop will be held at 7 p.m. at Charles River School, 6 Old Meadow Road in Dover.

Find out what's happening in Needhamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

During the event, Karen Belsley Pratt, popular childhood blogger and pre-Kindergarten teacher at Charles River School, and Jocelyn Bowne, doctoral student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and researcher with the Center for the Developing Child, will address current research theory in early childhood education and help connect it practically to classroom teaching methods. Pratt and Bowne will lead an interactive discussion with parents focusing on prevailing education related topics such as vocabulary and reading comprehension, the interdependence between play and learning, and the role of thematic curriculum in sparking motivation, inquiry, and sense of competence.

“We are excited to delve into current research theories in early childhood education and hopefully help answer questions that parents have about the benefits of high quality programs,” Pratt said. ”PreKindergarten and Kindergarten are crucial years for laying the groundwork for important life skills like critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creative problem solving – ideally in a way that supports a child’s natural curiosity and boundless energy.”

Find out what's happening in Needhamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 Pratt, an early childhood educator for more than 26 years, has taught at Charles River School for eight years and blogs regularly at handsfullofgrass.com. Founded in 1911 in Dover, Charles River School is an independent school offering students in PreKindergarten through eighth grade a strong academic program in an environment that celebrates learning and values each member of its community. Charles River School offers a unique, interdisciplinary “thematic” approach that is based on the premise that children’s learning is enhanced when they make connections between their curricular experiences, allowing them to learn many skills simultaneously. For more information visit www.charlesriverschool.org.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?