Little Folks School

About Us:

Little Folks is a diverse and joyful community; a place where all are seen and valued. Through play and the arts, we foster young children's growing sense of responsibility, independence and cooperation.

Our Approach:

At Little Folks School, we respect and value self-initiated play as a powerful learning tool for young children. Our play-based, emergent curriculum includes child-led learning topics and significant portions of the day dedicated to self-directed and teacher-supported play. Time spent this way has great significance for the child; by giving children autonomy in play throughout the day and ample time to create and carry out play plans, we nourish children’s powers of concentration, attention, creativity, and problem-solving. You can learn more about our curricular approach on our website.

Our Programs:

Our school consists of 6 classrooms and two different programs; our Tiny Folks Program for students ages 18 months-2.5 years at the start of the school year, and our Mixed Age Program for students ages 2.5-5 years old. Both programs employ our play-based, arts-focused approach to foster active learning and exploration, build foundational social-emotional skills, and support the "whole child."

Tiny Folks:

Our Tiny Folks Program is for students ages 18 months- 2.5 years of age at the start of the school year. Each of the two Tiny Folks classrooms consist of twelve students and three full time teachers. This small student-teacher ratio allows educators to focus on the individualized and developing needs of our youngest learners. our Tiny Folks learn through sensory play, art experiences, music, and more! Using our play-based curriculum, teachers build students social-emotional skills and support their developing independence through lots of time to play and explore. 

Mixed Age:

The Mixed Age Program is made up of four classrooms with class sizes ranging from 12 to 17 students and with student ages ranging from 2.5 to 5 years at the start of the school year. These classrooms are designed around a looping model, where children remain in the same classroom for the duration of their time in the Mixed Ages Program. Our mixed-age, looping approach allows teachers to build deep, trusting relationships with children and families, creating a strong sense of community and belonging. During a child’s time in the program, their teachers gain a meaningful understanding of their interests, needs, and learning style, allowing them to provide individualized, responsive learning experiences that allow the child to develop at their own pace. Older and younger children also learn from each other, building confidence, empathy, leadership skills, and meaningful relationships within the classroom community. 

LFS has over 50 years of experience providing high quality play based, mixed age learning opportunities to young children. We are proud to be a NAEYC accredited school and align our practices with current knowledge about child development.