Daily Schedule

“School can never be always predictable. We need to be open to what takes place and able to change our plan and go with what might grow at that moment both inside the child and inside ourselves.”

Loris Malaguzzi, Founder
Municipal Preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy

How Do We Use Our Time?

We are open from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, Monday through Thursday.

We use our exploration time to find out about ideas and wonderings that the group has. This may be seen as free play to a visitor, but you will notice teachers listening, writing and taking pictures of the play. This is how we work on discovering ideas for projects. These times of open choices help the children feel free to wonder and ask at their own pace, not that of the daily schedule. We will ask the whole group to clean up at the end of the day. Children revisit ideas, and just because a child has left an area of play doesn’t mean that the wondering is over. They often return to an activity later. Having the freedom to leave an area as they created it is the environment supporting the child’s education.

As teachers we see our duty to the children’s learning as an organizer of opportunity and to set up a playful inquiry into the project. We set up the environment, both inside and out, and our materials to invite a playful inquiry into research. Our teachers help the children see the connection between ourselves, the community, each other and the world.

Our schedule is very flexible depending on weather, project work and any interests the children may want to explore. Some days may include walks around the neighborhood. Below is a general outline of a day at OCP.