Parent-Child Course: In Progress
I recently had the pleasure of sitting in on a portion of Cab Yau's Parent-Child Course , and what a treat it was! Take a look at these beautiful babies in their prepared environment and read a bit about the space and purpose for this age range, below. 
On this particular day, half of the class was home recovering from various illnesses that are so common around this time of year; therefore, the full age range of this course was not represented in these photos. These children are on the younger spectrum of the age range. Still, they navigated the space well, exploring all areas of the prepared environment.
For children of this age, there is no need for lessons for the sake of learning; they are already absorbing everything in the environment around them. These two are in a stage where movement and language are of primary importance. They are constantly refining their movements as they crawl, scoot, touch, explore, chase, and search. Following a rolling object, bringing a toy to the mouth, physically manipulating a jar with a lid, and learning to support weight through assisted standing are a few examples.
There is also, amazingly, the beginning of social interaction between these young children. Above, the child on the left purposefully drops a toy off the top of a the shelf. Below: the other child notices, makes eye contact, and returns the toy!
The materials themselves are simple and beautiful, and arranged to sit on the edge of the shelf for easiest access to little hands.
Another example of early social behavior: above, the child on the left observes the child on the right mouthing a silver rattle (note in the mirror that the child without the rattle is opening her mouth in imitation). Immediately after, she offers the baby another toy, placing it directly into her mouth!
A mother watches as her child navigates the shelving unit.
Cab offers a helping hand
After plenty of time playing while the adults discussed various parenting topics, it was time for a snack!
On the menu for this class: peas!
Cab assists the child in holding the fork and spearing a pea.
When weather is permitting, the children and their caregivers also spend time outside exploring on the playground. There is so much going on - just observing this amazing time of development is astonishing. Thank you, Cab, for inviting us to peek in on your course!Though registration is currently closed for this session, there will be an opportunity to sign your 8-week to 2-year-old child up for the next session soon. Please contact Carrie Tallon, Director of Education (carriet@villadimaria.org) for more information.