Program Overview
Susan’s Garden’s program focuses on the development of the whole child, in an informal setting, providing experiences and activities that meet the special learning needs of children from 3 months through age 5. This program encourages healthy emotional, intellectual, physical, and social development. The objective of this program is to help expand a child's ability to learn about the world, organize information, and think. The aim is to strengthen your child's feelings of self-worth, their interest in challenging tasks, and their ability to work with other people. Great importance is placed on developing self-confidence and encouraging social interaction.
The children are regarded as active solvers of problems. Children are naturally motivated to satisfy their curiosity and master challenging tasks. The function of a care giver is to arrange the environment so that it provides safe, suitable challenges in a group setting.
Children will be encouraged to participate in age appropriate household routines such as preparing food, setting tables and cleaning up. There will be activities, both indoors and out,
A balance of active and quiet play will be provided. Common activities include: sensorimotor toys and stimulation games for toddlers, reading books, singing, dancing, building with blocks and manipulatives, puzzles, games, dress up and fantasy play, creative arts (painting, drawing, collage, clay, crafts), cooking, music, sand and water play, and gardening.
Susan’s background as a teacher has been in the arts. Susan has taught the Oak Park Summer Cultural Arts Workshop, After School Arts Program for the Oak Park Park District; Art Start and Young Artist Workshop for District 97. She has taught children and adults for The Oak Park Art League. Susan has a bachelor’s degree in Art History from Southern Illinois University.