Goals of the Early Learning Community

For the Children of the Early Learning Community

Our goal is to nurture growth in each child toward becoming a person who:

  • Is a caring and compassionate community member, sensitive to the needs of others and increasingly capable of making and maintaining friendships
  • Is increasingly self-aware and able to sense physical and emotional states, as well as identify and articulate needs
  • Is curious, observant and actively inquisitive about the world, displaying wonder and delight in the process of learning
  • Conceives of his or herself as a writer, reader, mathematician, scientist, artist and explorer
  • Values the written word and is able to apply emergent literacy skills in creative and communicative ways
  • Extends and refines gross and fine motor skills through playful as well as intentional activities
  • Explores and values artistic expression in multiple forms
  • Demonstrates a desire to explore, care for, understand and conserve resources as a steward of the natural world

As Early Childhood Educators

As contributors and advocates in the field of early childhood education, we are dedicated to:

  • Providing the students, faculty and staff of Pacific University, as well as parents in the Forest Grove area, with a model facility dedicated to the education, nurture and care of their young children
  • Meeting the needs of learners of many ages, backgrounds and abilities, in an active learning environment based on constructivist pedagogical practice
  • Facilitating the implementation of a curriculum that celebrates and nurtures community diversity by modeling multicultural, multilingual and special education
  • Developing innovative learning environments that provide learners with authentic experiences through the active exploration of manipulative materials
  • Including art and aesthetically beautiful environments as prominent factors of an affectively invigorating environment                                
  • Documenting and presenting children’s work as a fundamental tool to support their evolving understanding 
  • Collaborating with the parents and families of students as essential partners in the learning community
  • Fostering the development of literacy in its many forms, including alphanumeric, scientific, technological and expressive
  • Modeling the manner in which innovative educational technologies can be an important component of an early childhood learning environment
  • Serving as an exemplary early childhood teaching and learning environment that will be an essential element of the teacher preparation programs in the College of Education. Providing all university programs with a valuable observation and research facility for the study of learning, child development and educational practice.
  • Participating in developmentally appropriate research projects that respect children’s need for high quality education and care
  • Providing an environment where Pacific University professionals can collaborate to model interdisciplinary multidimensional approaches to working with young children
  • Serving as the catalyst for the establishment and sustenance of critical partnerships with the public schools and private educational providers in Forest Grove and surrounding communities