(class size: 5 minimum | 10 maximum)
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Magda Gerber’s Educaring® Approach as taught by RIE®(Resources for Infant Educarers ® )advocates 7 principles.~.~The basis of the RIE® Approach is respect.Our goal: an authentic child.Trust in the infant’s competence.Sensitive observation.Caregiving times: involving the child.A safe, challenging, predictable environment.Time for uninterrupted play and freedom to explore.Consistency.To learn more visit:
My Child and I sessions begin promptly at 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. Please arrive for morning sessions between 9:50 am and 10:00 am and afternoon sessions between 2:50 pm and 3:00 pm. Maplewood’s doors and gate will be locked as class starts since we will be spending the majority of our time in the Exploration Room. Our Exploration Room and Child’s Bathroom are designed with infants, toddlers and preschoolers in mind and the Exploration Room is set up to allow for independent explorations. As the “giants” in the classroom, we ask that the adults to maintain quiet voices when engaging in discussions so as not to interrupt the play of the children.
Upon arrival. Please sign in on the sign-in sheet upon arrival. Please bring clean indoor shoes or socks for yourself and baby. After you have taken off your street shoes we ask for everyone to find a comfortable seat on the floor around the edges of the Exploration Room. Adults with immobile infants are encouraged to find a safe place for their infant near by to where you choose to sit on one of our blankets.
Diapering. Our Center’s child’s bathroom has biodegradable changing pads. We ask you used changing pads so the changing table remain clean for the next child. Eco-friendly cleaners are available for accidents and for you to clean the table after each use.
Transportation. North Maplewood Ave. is a permit-only residential street, non-permited parking is available on Diversey Ave. and Elston Ave. Residential parking permits for North Maplewood Ave. may be purchased in advanced for $7. Strollers can be stored in our gangway along the south side of the Center.
Snacks. It is best to have your child come feeling full so they may participate in the class. If you should need to provide a snack for your child, the upstairs kitchen table and cleaning supplies to clean up after snack will be made available to you. Please leave snack in your travel bag when you are not in the kitchen and leave food items potentially containing peanut or tree nuts at home. Nursing and bottle fed baby may feed when hungry wherever your child and you feel most comfortable, either on the lower level or main floor.
*The third and fourth floors are not part of Maplewood Child Development Center.
Please remain on the lower two levels at all time.
Social Give Back Opportunities. One of Maplewood’s goals for the community is social giveback. This year we are supporting the Chicago Abused Women Coalition (CAWC – www.cawc.org) and the Irving Park Community Food Pantry (IPCFP – www.irvingparkfoodpantry.com).
—-> Maplewood Book Exchange Library: Take a book, leave a book. Please bring gently used books (children’s and young adult books).
—-> Maplewood Helping families 1-1. Please consider donating to CAWA. Maplewood will match your donation up to $50.00.
—-> Maplewood Food Drive. All non perishables and cash donations will go to IPFP.
Schedule of Classes
Spring 2018 : 4/14, 4/21, 4/28, 5/5, 5/12, 5/19, 5/26, 6/2, 6/9, 6/16
Spring 2016 : 4/16, 4/23, 4/30, 5/07, 5/14, 5/21, 5/28, 6/4, 6/18, 6/25
Winter 2015-16 : 1/9, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30, 2/6 (rescheduled to 2/13), 2/20, 3/26, 4/9, (includes two 90-minute home visits)
*There will be no classes during the Month of December.
Fall 2015 : 10/3, 10/17, 10/24, 11/7
Summer 2015 : 7/11, 7/25, 8/22, 9/5, 9/19
Spring 2015 : 3/7, 3/21, 4/4, 4/18, 5/16, 5/30, 6/13, 6/27
Winter 2014-15 : 12/4, 12/5, 12/6, 12/20, 1/10, 1/24, 2/7, /2/21
Fall 2014 : 9/20, 10/20, 10/23, 11/10, 11/11, 11/12, 11/13, 11/14, 11/22
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*Playgroups may be requested when class size of four (4) adult:child pairs are enrolled in advance.
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“An observant parent will be alert both to small clues and to large patterns of behavior. By noticing these, a parent can often offer appropriate suggestions and experiences, and also, learn whether the help and explanations already given have been adequate.
Children have their own styles of learning, everyone unique. They also have their own timetables, according to which they are ready to do things, speeds at which they want to do them, and time they want to wait before doing a new thing. When we try to direct or interfere with, or change these learning styles and timetables, we almost always slow or stop them.”
– John Holt