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NEWS photo Mike Wakefleld
ADVENTURES ABOUND when you're in a playground — it’s up to
you to discover them. The newly-named North Shore Child Discovery
Centre’s goal is to foster a child’s creative imagination for play and pro-
blem-solving. Shown on the swing are (1 to r) Brenton, Lois and Able be-
ing serenaded by Kelly Upsdell, assistant supervisor of the centre.

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‘CHILDREN LEARN THROUGH DISCOVERY,’ SAYS CHIEF

N. Shore preschool operates
from a different perspective

Cabbies
taken

to task
PAGE 36

DEVELOPMENT OF the total child is the new direction of
newly-named

philosophy for North

Day care head Les Brownjohn
said the old name Montessori was
disgarded when the centre decided
to follow the whole child philoso-
phy rather than what he describes
as the more limited Montessori
one. “We believe the child’s
development is ongoing,’’ Brown-
john said.

A spokesperson for the parent
association said the name was
chosen with care. ‘‘We wanted the
word ‘child’ in the name, and
‘discovery’? because children learn
through discovery.”

Brownjohn said physical,
cognitive, psychological and social
development are the four domains
of child development and receive
equal attention at the centre.
“Each area is influenced by the
other areas and is dependent on
healthy development in all areas,”
Brownjohn said.

He said the centre operates from
the child’s need, interest and stage
of development. ‘We believe in
play and real hands-on activity.”
The centre cares for {7 children
between five and seven years old,
and will employ a third
childworker soon.

Brownjohn said he plans the ac-
tivities but the children decide on
specifics. ‘‘l] am the provider and
facilitator, but I give guidance on-
ly.’ He said the children showed
an interest in frogs this summer
and the group raised 300 frogs in
an aquarium. ‘‘We sang frog
songs, we painted frogs, we made
frog cookies and jumped like
frogs.”

3590 Capilano Road 988-5169
N. Vancouver, B.C. Open seven days a week

GALLERIA.

Vancouver’s
Shore Child Discovery Centre,

North

He said the project taught the
children new language skills, scien-
tific knowledge and empathy for
nature, ‘“*We try to develop a car-
ing attitude to nature and people.”

Social attitude is further
developed during disagreement.
“Preschoolers are very egocentric
and they all want the same."
Brownjohn stimulates the children
to talk and find solutions on their
own. ‘Il offer help and praise any
contribution, but { tell them it is
their problem.”

Erownjohn said the goal is to
teach children to direct their own
behavior and be able to make deci-
sions and !ead healthy lives. He
said he tries to build the child’s
self-esteem by giving frequent pos-
itive reinforcement, such as “that
was really good waiting.”’

A parent whose son has attended

the centre said it made her child
more independent. ‘His ability in
problem solving and decision mak-
ing is up and his self-esteem has
really increased.”

Brownjohn said his being a male
is positive for children from
single-parent homes. ‘I am not
trying to be in a father role, but [
am a consistent male figure and try
to be a friend,” he said.

Brownjohn, who 1s a_ single
parent himself, said many parents
feel ambivalent about bringing
their children to day care because
of some persistent myths. He said
research has shown that parent/
child attachment is not inter-
rupted, and that parents remain
the number one person in the
child's life. He also said children
attending a day care have better
peer relationships.

He advised parents to inspect a
day care to see if there is a feeling
of warmth and respect for the
children. ‘‘See if children choose
their own activity, if they are ge-
nuinely involved in learning, if you
hear a happy hum and if you are
welcome to enter the centre during
activities,”’ he said.

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