Our Trip To "A Child's Place"

On Saturday, May 20 the Early Childhood Club ventured out on its first field trip in many years. We drove to Queens to visit "A Child's Place," an early childhood program founded and directed by award-winning KCC instructor Joan Gallagher. It was a very informative and enjoyable experience for all who attended.

Housed in a charming, 3-story converted home overlooking the bay, "A Child's Place" exemplifies the best in developmentally practices for young children. As Joan guided us on the tour, we saw a spacious block area; an abundance of manipulatives, toys, and children's books; a large and inviting dramatic play center; art, music and science materials; and many other interesting things for the preschoolers to work and play with. The colorful walls are adorned with free-style drawings and paintings done by the children; photographs; and posters, all of which create a warm and homey atmosphere.

It is obvious that children are deeply respected in this program. The daily schedule emphasizes both indoor and outdoor play; individual and small-group activities; and hands-on experiences. The children have many choices and opportunities to interact with their environment and each other. They are also encouraged to write, draw and express themselves in their journals. There is a well-equipped play yard, and the teacher-child ratio is outstanding. The program's name is quite fitting, because "A Child's Place" is truly a child-centered program.

"It was very helpful to see such a great welcoming atmosphere merged with a strong educational presence," said our club's president, Reyna Richman, upon returning from the trip. "It made me feel like I can do something like this myself one day. After today, I have an even greater admiration for Joan and her philosophy," she added. "To sum up our trip, it was ideally all of our ideals." Vice-president Doreen Brittingham agreed. "Wow! It was fun. This trip was a tangible way for us to see what we've learned in our classes at KCC being materialized."

The Early Childhood Club is very grateful to Joan Gallagher for taking the time on a Saturday afternoon to share her program and its mission with us. She was a gracious host, and we truly appreciated this wonderful opportunity for our club members to see first-hand what a high-quality early childhood program is all about.

REMINDER: The Early Childhood Club will meet for the last time on Tuesday, May 30 at 3pm in room V122. A "multicultural food fest" will be part of the celebration. Please bring a COLD dish (snack or dessert) from your culture to share. Beverages and paper goods will be provided by the club. We will be saying good-bye to the faculty advisor, as well as many departing members and officers, who are graduating in June. Please join us for this very special meeting.