Learn More About My Home Preschool

An Early Learning Family

During the preschool years, children thrive in a nurturing, supportive and predictable educational environment. The intimate nature of home-based childcare promotes a sense of stability and belonging. At Caterpillar Lane Preschool, students learn, play and grow through my kindergarten ready program, working directly with me and a small group of peers from enrollment to graduation. Children regularly engage in team building activities and positivity exercises to build and strengthen friendships while promoting confidence self-image.

A One of a Kind Experience

Caterpillar Lane's preschool program offers a unique combination of challenging curricula, small class sizes, mixed-age groups, and one-on-one teacher-student instruction in a cozy home environment. Curriculum blends elements from Reggio Amelia, Montessori, the Project Approach, and modern constructivism with both student and teacher-directed activities. Students work with a single class from enrollment until kindergarten, instead of switching classrooms and instructors each year. as they may do in a larger childcare center setting.

Give Yourself the Gift of Peace of Mind

As a mom, I value your voice as a parent. I am committed to promoting happy hearts, healthy bodies and growing minds in each one of my students, and this means partnering with you through this exciting time in development. Give yourself the gift of peace of mind knowing your child is being supported in a safe and nurturing environment.

Additional Information

Credentials

Senior-level graduate student in Early Childhood Education (ECE) at Arizona State University including training in child development, ECE curriculum development and assessment, instructional methods, emergent and integrated literacy, child guidance, mathematics in ECE and research and evaluation in ECE.

Bachelor of Science in Psychology, University of Maryland.

Associates of Arts, Community College of Baltimore County.

Licensed family childcare provider in the state of Pennsylvania since 2013.

Certified in adult and pediatric CPR/AED and first aid.

Recognized by the PA Keys STARS program for high level of education and training; joining the initiative for building high quality ECE programs in PA.

Recipient of the Rising STARS continuing education grant.

Ongoing training in Pennsylvania Core Knowledge Competencies including: child growth and development; the environment, curriculum and content; families in society; child assessment; communication; professionalism and leadership; health, safety and nutrition; and program organization and administration.

A Note From Mrs. Laura Regarding Classroom Management

Welcome, and thank you for your interest in Caterpillar Lane! I’d like to introduce you to my classroom behavior management plan. Classroom management is an important element of a positive, nurturing learning environment. Clear, developmentally appropriate rules have been created to help students understand what is expected of them in the classroom so they can successfully navigate the school day. These rules will be reviewed on a regular basis and posted in a prominent area to remind students of expectations and to guide their behavior. When classroom rules are respected your little one can focus on what really matters, having fun and learning!

Here are our class guidelines:

We are kind.
We use our words.
We solve problems.
We have helping hands.

To monitor behavior, we will be using a fluid behavior chart. Like the class rules, this chart too serves as a salient, visual reminder for self-regulation. Here’s how it works. Each child will have a name tag that can move up and down the chart throughout the day and everyone begins the day on the Green Square: Ready to Learn section of the chart. One poor choice does not make a “bad” day, but rather, children can change their position on the chart at any time based on positive or poor behavior choices. Most importantly, this communicates to your little one that their choices do not define them. Poor choices do not make “bad” children, but rather people can make poor choices, and then they can recover from them with a little work. Important updates will be recorded in your child’s brightwheel account, the app we use to keep track of your child’s meals, snacks, nap, personal accomplishments and more. Brightwheel can be accessed via PC, tablet or smartphone. This app includes a school calendar and a “message teacher” tool that you can use to reach out to me at any time.

The idea behind the behavior chart is to promote a growth mindset; the belief that abilities and performance are not fixed traits but instead a product of hard work and persistence. A growth mindset lets your little one know they are in control of their behavior and their learning. It communicates that through perseverance and effort, they can shape their minds and their behaviors to achieve whatever they want. We all have tough days, cranky days, the occasional Monday blues, and sometimes we don’t make the best choices. The important thing is that your child understands that they can take control of their behavior and bounce-back from those choices. In fact, they can recover from any setback, behavioral, academic or personal because they are resilient. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out to me.

Sincerely,

Miss Laura