Why do children at The Goddard School® look like they’re having so much fun? Because play is the foundation for learning and Goddard Schools take play very seriously.

Goddard School teachers promote play by creating theme-based lesson plans to meet the individual needs of the children in their classrooms. They introduce developmentally appropriate materials and activities in Learning Centers. These Centers are hands-on areas and include music, science, math, creative art, writing, computers and dramatic play.
Learning Centers:
  • Provide time for children to explore their feelings and use their imaginations.
  • Encourage children to investigate their surroundings, solve problems and think independently.
  • Support each child’s freedom to move from center to center and learn at their own pace.
  • Allow teachers to observe activities, assess children’s development and create portfolios.
 Children are encouraged to:
  • Explore a variety of materials through play.
  • Make choices among several options according to their interests.
  • Socialize with their friends.
  • Use objects to represent something else (a toy banana becomes a phone) which sets the stage for abstract thinking - the type of thinking that is essential to learning to read and write.