Preserving Childhood.

Play IS learning. Early years are a time for exploration, imagination, socialization, and development of the self. Three Rivers Day School honors the whole child, using a holistic, developmentally appropriate, individualized approach that allows children to BE children. We are inspired by the Finnish model of education, Montessori, Waldorf, Charlotte Mason, Sudbury, Holt, forest schools, and a variety of other alternative educational pedagogies. It is our mission to provide children the opportunity to have lots of movement, autonomy and free play, and plenty of time outside. While we do some academic work, it is not the focus in the early years.

Children are Natural Learners! Play IS Learning.

LET THEM PLAY!

Play IS learning. Children do not differentiate between learning and play. Children master all kinds of skills without being formally taught - such as crawling, talking, & walking! Children will try, fail, and try-try-again, so long as there is no pressure or shame applied. Children w/play based early childhoods & early educational experiences exhibit far more creativity, better problem-solving skills, and much higher self-confidence!

Autonomy & Responsibility

Children are given autonomy appropriate to their age & maturity levels; this is individual for each child. Rather than focusing on coercion & punishment, we instill an internal locus of control : children should do what is right because it is the right thing to do, not out of fear of isolation or punishment. Expectations vary by age & maturity level, as impulse control develops on an individual timeline between ages between ages 3-9, and is not fully developed until age 25!

Socialization.

We help children develop with:

  • Friendships, Peers, & Conflict Resolution

    • We Encourage Children to Work Conflicts Out Themselves

      • This is Empowering; Children NEED these Skills

      • Teachers Assist if Necessary

  • Manners & Table Etiquette

  • Appropriate Social Behavior @ School & in the World

Academics.. can WAIT!

Formal academics do not begin until age 7 in most countries; at least, in those with truly excellent education systems! If children are interested earlier, of course we will support them on their own timeline (& if that’s later, that is okay, too!). Children are unique individuals and they do not all develop on the same timeline. Excellent educational programs support individual learning in lieu of expecting all to advance at the same rate. Children should master subjects and skills, and move on only when they are ready to tackle the next subject or skill. Knowledge is just as important, and is necessary to skill development.

Finland has the best education system in the world, and we follow their approach of play-based early childhood education focused on fostering a love of learning; the Finns have a proverb that says “That which is learned without JOY is easily forgotten.” This is so true! School should be a place of joyful exploration, where each child is welcome to be themselves, and not put in some generic box. In early childhood, we focus on early literacy, socialization, learning about the natural world, exploring the arts, and development of the self.

Delaying the start of kindergarten by 1 year has also been shown to DRASTICALLY reduce the chances of a child being diagnosed with ADHD. Earlier academics are not better, and in fact, pushing 3-6 year olds to do academic work (that is almost always developmentally inappropriate!) is often detrimental to young children - it diminishes their creativity, interest in academic pursuits, & self-confidence. Few programs that claim to be “play based” truly are PLAY BASED! Three Rivers Day School is committed to legitimate play based, holistic methods for our students that are supported by evidence, neuroscience, psychology, and used by the best educational systems on Earth. There is NO RUSH to grow them up. Let them be LITTLE!

Children have one, and only ONE CHILDHOOD - TRDS will help make it memorable & magical!