The Westfield Cooperative Nursery School

There is a lot to take into consideration when deciding which preschool will best meet your child’s needs and your philosophy of education. At the Westfield Cooperative Nursery school, you are a valuable part of the classroom. You will experience firsthand how children in a play-based school learn in a developmentally appropriate way that is engaging, meaningful, and fun! The following articles provide some background on the importance of play in early childhood education: 

Preschool tests take time away from play—and learning
By Paul Tullis
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-death-of-preschool

Want to get your kids into college? Let them play
By Erika Christakis and Nicholas Christakis
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/12/29/christakis.play.children.learning/index.html

A walk through selected research: What we know about play
By Susan J. Oliver and Edgar Klugman
http://www.teachplaybasedlearning.com/doc/what_we_know_about_play.pdf

Taking play seriously
By Robin Marantz Henig
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/magazine/17play.html?pagewanted=all

EQ over IQ: How play-based learning can lead to more successful kids
By Kate Hammer
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/kindergarten/eq-over-iq-how-play-based-learning-can-lead-to-more-successful-kids/article2059603/

Let’s play! Using play-based curriculum to support children’s learning throughout the domains
By Cynthia Hoisington
http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=453