West Linn, Oregon – Little Nestlings Early Learning Center will open this September, offering high-quality Reggio Emilia-inspired preschool education for three and four-year-old children in West Linn and Lake Oswego, Oregon.
The preschool’s opening will help address the problem of Oregon’s childcare desert, especially in West Linn, where Reggio Emilia Preschool options are limited. A child care desert is defined as a geographic area with more than 50 children under five years old that have none or very few child care providers. According to an Oregon Capitol Chronicle article, Oregon has 11 counties considered “severe” child care deserts.
Because of Oregon’s child care desert, many parents are left scrambling to place their children in any available child care facility or preschool, sometimes ending up with subpar child care. With Little Nestlings Early Learning Center opening its high-quality preschool program to young children in West Linn and Lake Oswego, parents will soon have more options for preschool and childcare.
Little Nestlings is owned and operated by the dynamic mother-daughter duo of Eloise Bates and Colleen Cleary. Bates has an extensive business background while Cleary is a seasoned educator and an expert in the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. They both noticed a lack of quality, accessible early childhood centers in the area, which encouraged them to create Little Nestlings Early Learning Center.
The preschool is Reggio Emilia-based, a philosophy that respects children as strong, capable, resilient, and rich with wonder and knowledge. The approach believes that children have innate curiosity and potential, which drives them to understand their world and their place within it. Aside from increasing the number of preschool slots in Oregon, Little Nestlings aims to offer excellent education, developing critical thinking, creativity, and a genuine love for learning in all their students through the Reggio Emilia approach.
Many preschools offer traditional education that focuses on group activities and teacher-led learning. On the other hand, the Reggio Emilia approach is child-centered. Instead of focusing on the teacher creating activities and lessons for the children, the children, and the teacher are partners.
Another main difference between a traditional preschool and the Reggio Emilia approach is the view of the classroom. In a traditional preschool, the classroom is simply where the class is held. In the Reggio Emilia approach, the classroom environment is crucial and is referred to as the “third teacher.” In other words, there is much thought put into designing the classroom environment to support the children’s needs.
For parents who want to shift away from traditional schooling and want their children to have more learning opportunities to help them become active community citizens, a Reggio Emilia school, like Little Nestlings Early Learning Center, is a great option.
“We envision a new kind of early learning center, one that would address the scarcity of quality care and set a new standard for educational excellence. We are combining a deep understanding of early childhood education with business acumen and by doing so, laying the foundation that will become a cornerstone of the community,” shared Cleary.
Little Nestlings is inviting parents and their young children in the West Linn area to experience a place where education and creativity intertwine and where there are endless possibilities for growth and exploration. The preschool believes that parents should have access to preschool and childcare slots as needed. However, more importantly, they should have access to high-quality options, like Little Nestlings, where children’s well-being and development are top priorities.
Aside from being women-owned, the learning center is also Native-American owned, which gives the preschool a unique perspective on early childhood education. This inclusive environment welcomes children from all backgrounds and is ready to help maximize their learning at school.
Little Nestlings Early Learning Center is currently undergoing licensing by the state of Oregon. It is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), its Oregon chapter (ORAEYC), and the North American Reggio Emilia Alliance (NAREA).
Schedule a visit to learn more about its philosophy and program. Preschool slots are limited.
Visit https://littlenestlings.co/ to discover more about Little Nestlings Early Learning Center.