What Makes Pacific Oaks Children’s School Unique in How Children Learn?
Read our 2019–2022 Strategic Plan
When you enter the Children’s School, you are transported to an enchanted time and place—not only through the lavender plants, oak trees, and singing parrots, but also through the inclusive and open environment we’ve cultivated. Our expansive campus, just steps away from the Arroyo Seco trail, provides an ideal space for learning and exploration. It includes tree-shaded play areas, original 19th-century Craftsman-style homes, state-of-the-art play yards, a children’s library, an art studio, an Outdoor Classroom demonstration site and garden, and a neighborhood-like atmosphere.
We use an emergent, play-based curriculum to educate children. Emergent means that the activities and set-ups are designed around the interests and developmental needs of the children in each program. Play-based means that learning takes place organically and is directly tied to the experiences children are having.
We believe children can understand anything if it’s presented in the right way. As an ancient Chinese proverb says, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” By exposing children to a variety of environments and encounters—rather than following a script—they develop their own system of values and preferences. We teach children that no matter their size, their choices are valid. With this sense of agency, they begin to shape their future selves. Teachers encourage and support the development of each student’s voice, passion, purpose, and self-expression.
Teachers focus first and foremost on developing a deeply rooted love of learning. From the natural and diverse elements in the toys provided to the emphasis on outdoor environments, children learn constantly through exploration.
Another essential area of focus is emotional understanding and regulation. Children are encouraged to explore their feelings and express them in healthy ways. Teachers may not always step in, but instead monitor and support a child’s expression, helping them learn how to self-regulate in both joyful and challenging circumstances. Techniques such as negotiation and delayed gratification are practiced.
It is not unusual to see children disagreeing while at school. Less obvious is the teacher standing nearby—just an arm’s length away—observing and, if needed, facilitating healthy negotiation. In these situations, the teacher’s role is not to discipline or suppress a child’s expression, but to use the moment as a learning opportunity for future problem-solving.
Perhaps one of the most important traits children develop through our approach is resiliency. From classroom challenges to broader life events, children learn to move forward despite disappointment. When something doesn’t go as planned, we explore why and, more importantly, what can be learned. This turns mistakes into opportunities to try again and builds confidence in the face of failure.
Through passionate exploration, conflict resolution, and resiliency-building, we use every moment as a chance for honest dialogue. While the world continues to change, our core values of social justice and community responsibility remain constant—helping children understand the world, their role in it, and how they can make a positive impact.