Early Childhood

Virginia Chance School is a Progressive Early Childhood through Elementary program in a historic stone schoolhouse on 26 magical acres. A challenging, progressive program that engages students in a hands-on, collaborative environment using outdoor integration, focused on building self-motivation, growth mindset, decision making, community building, and critical thinking.

 
Peek into any Chance Early Childhood classroom, and you’ll see children strengthening their social and emotional skills through play and work while experimenting with age-appropriate pre-reading, pre-writing, and math activities, all within an innovative play-based curriculum. Opportunities for purposeful work and play with classmates support social and emotional development, which is foundational for the child and a hallmark of the Virginia Chance School program.

Virginia Chance School provides Degreed Early Childhood Teachers that guide your child’s active mind and body to participate in our safe, engaging, and discovery-driven program. Chance’s dynamic learning environment and well-qualified teachers nurture, support, and challenge your child with dignity and respect. 

Hands-on center activities and guided instruction are guided by theme studies that lead to notable cognitive discoveries in all developmental and academic areas. Students are invited to explore literacy, math and number sense, science, movement, music, art, and dramatic or pretend play through daily classroom experiences. Specialists’classes include library, science, and art. 

The Virginia Chance Early Childhood Program is developed and scaffolded for a child’s success in the Virginia Chance Elementary Program. The curriculum builds on itself to create the foundation for long-term success in the Elementary Program through graduation and beyond. The magical childhood education cultivated here and remembered stays for a lifetime.

A Early Childhood Day

Group times

As the day begins, teachers greet students with engaging group activities. One gathering may introduce new materials in the room or center choices. Others include reading a story or singing a song. This day's portion offers opportunities to practice self-regulation and social/emotional skills.

 

Learning centers

Students follow their curiosity and select a learning center. Centers promote exploration, decision-making, and social interaction as an extension of their studies. Choices include building blocks, dressing up for dramatic play, creating a masterpiece on an easel, exploring clay or watercolors at the art table, reading a book, digging into the sensory table, exploring a science topic, or playing a game with a new friend.

 

Literacy development

The journey to literacy is an exciting one at Chance. In addition to learning opportunities at centers, experiences include group read-aloud that let students experience meaningful literature to extend their studies. Class discussions stretch students to grow in comprehension, recall, and reasoning. Writing practice that helps students make meaningful connections. The youngest writers create stories using scribbles, stamps, and pictures. Soon they are associating sounds with symbols and developing a beginning understanding of the concepts of print. 

 

Math development

Students explore, investigate, and problem-solve with hands-on math activities that make abstract ideas concrete. Students explore new concepts at their levels of understanding by using hands-on materials. Group time featuring real-life experiences, problems, and games makes math learning come to life. Students may assist with a demonstration using manipulatives or talk about some interesting observations. Teachers offer guidance and extra support.

 

Inquiry study

Children love to examine the world in which they live. Teachers generate topics of study based on children’s interests and life experiences. The exploration uses all the subjects, from writing and math to art and music. Teachers plan exciting and relevant themes for young learners, such as Family, Seasons, Animals, Transportation, Senses, and All About Me.

 

Early Childhood Program Options

Full-Day Early Childhood Program

8:30AM - 3:00PM

As children are welcomed into their classroom, they can meet and greet friends and choose how they would like to start the day. Teachers work with children to welcome them to the choices available for the morning and help guide them in their decision-making process. Children are capable; this is one of many empowering methods and opportunities offered throughout the day. Outside play is an integral part of our daily program, so parents should dress their child accordingly for optimal play and learning outdoors.
 
The mid-day portion continues the day to incorporate a family-style lunch where language, conversation skills, and self-help skills are practiced as children set up and clean up at mealtimes. Your child will also have additional time to build community with peers during group activities between lunch and dismissal, including read-aloud, theme study discussions, and select center choices. The parent will provide a packed lunch, and the school will provide organic milk.
 
A cognitively necessary rest time after a morning of work and play is part of our full-day program and an expectation for every child. The afternoon extends the day to give children more social time together in a group to build community and practice decision-making. The full-day option also offers more self-help practice, playtime, and outdoor exploration.

 
Mid-day Early Childhood Program

8:30AM - 1:00PM

As children are welcomed into their classroom, they can meet and greet friends and choose how they would like to start the day. Teachers work with children to welcome them to the choices available for the morning and help guide them in their decision-making process. Children are capable; this is one of many empowering methods and opportunities offered throughout the day. Outside play is an integral part of our daily program, so parents should dress their child accordingly for optimal play and learning outdoors. Full-week classes for Early Childhood Preschool and Pre-K also engage with our Specialists, who bring content-rich experiences to the classrooms and outdoor learning spaces.The mid-day portion continues the day to incorporate a family-style lunch where language, conversation skills, and self-help skills are practiced as children set up and clean up at mealtimes. Your child will also have additional time to build community with peers during group activities between lunch and dismissal, including read-aloud, theme study discussions, and select center choices. The parent will provide a packed lunch, and the school will provide organic milk.

 

Extended Day Options

We offer our before and after-school Chums program and Enrichment classes for families seeking more flexibility. With these extra options, programs are available from 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. for children ages 2 through Grade 5.