We encourage you to get to know The Children’s School. Take time to understand our approach, our culture, our core values and the quality of our teaching. Visit our campus and observe how our child-centered techniques create an exciting and nurturing learning environment. We look forward to sharing the practices that have made our school a national model for excellence in early learning.

• We are experienced. The Children’s School has many strengths institutionally, but perhaps the most important is that we have been growing young hearts and minds for more than 50 years. Since 1964, we have focused exclusively on the education of young children, and we have never wavered in—nor diluted—that focus. Our deep expertise in child development, and our nuanced understanding of the many different ways that children learn, is critical to the foundation building that is at the heart of early learning.
• We are rooted in research. Studies of cognitive development reveal that the early years are a distinct and critical period for social, emotional and cognitive learning. A raft of research in education and neuroscience has demonstrated that the period from birth to age 8 is a time of explosive brain development, and that a high-quality learning environment yields significant lifetime benefits. All of the features that studies have found make for excellence in early learning are found at The Children’s School.
• We build foundations. Our work is all about anchoring your child in the joy of discovery, meaning the process of learning, not just the end product; creating a foundation for character, the scaffolding of which is respect; laying the building blocks for mastery of needed skills in reading, math and problem-solving; and promoting a child’s understanding that he or she belongs to something larger. Students learn the meaning of community in our outreach programs, when they visit the school’s elderly neighbors, care for animals and gardens at a working farm, create cheer for homeless families and collect food for the hungry.
• We are small. With our 6-to-1 student-teacher ratio and an emphasis on careful observation of every aspect of a student’s life in the classroom, our teachers come to know each child well. This allows the faculty to support individual needs, interests and learning styles and to foster each child’s emotional growth and innate curiosity through warm, respectful interactions.
• We offer a personalized education. Imagine having a learning program that is tailored to the child, one that is adjusted constantly as skills are mastered and new passions, interests and talents are identified. Then imagine having an environment that promotes learning through play as well as the five senses, which is how all children learn best. Finally, imagine a school that gives children the time and freedom to choose what to focus on, in between their group and individual lessons. Those are the essential ingredients of The Children’s School.
• We attract—and keep—the best and brightest teachers. The Children’s School is fortunate to have one of the most highly trained and seasoned teams of educators. To say they are passionate about their calling is an understatement. They are not only committed to their professional growth, but also to create a joyful classroom in which teaching is about much more than assuring that children master skills and acquire knowledge. Rather, their work is about guiding children to love the process of learning—the messy journey of learning how to learn.
• We take a global perspective. Children are driven to understand the world around them and to find their place within it. We nurture their sense of belonging by teaching them about the meaning of community. It begins with their family, their neighborhood and state, and extends to their role as citizens of the world, open to and appreciative of differences. Students learn Spanish every day through casual conversation and lessons. Mandarin is also offered after school. Children learn about different cultures through studying geography and history. In all of these ways, we give our students multiple opportunities to discover more about themselves and to build a strong connection to others.
• We are green and proud. The Children’s School was one of the first schools in Connecticut to boast a building and campus with certification from LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Our focus on sustainable design springs from a genuine desire to do our part to protect the environment for future generations and to educate environmentally aware young citizens. The building itself is a teaching tool, with features like rain barrels that inspire children to value natural resources. Its design has received national attention for the way it blends into the landscape and meets the needs of its occupants: “Playfully massed and scaled, this elementary school integrates a community of smaller buildings and reads like a landscape rather than a single object. The structure’s prominent overlapping rooflines offer visual variety and cantilever over outdoor spaces that extend from each classroom to provide wonderful spots for children to play and learn.” With this kind of intelligent design, the schoolhouse and grounds serve as a living laboratory, teaching students about conservation methods, sustaining precious resources and protecting the ecosystem at school and home.

We invite you to visit our beautiful campus in North Stamford and observe our innovative learning environment in action.