© 2009   Foothills School of Arts & Sciences. All Rights Reserved
Early Learners Program

The Early Learners Program at Foothills School is a unique early childhood education program in the Treasure Valley.  The program is inspired by the educational philosophy started by Loris Malaguzzi and the parents of the villages around Reggio Emilia, Italy, after World War II. The destruction from the war, parents believed, necessitated a new, quick approach to teaching their children. They felt that it is in the early years of development that children are forming who they are as individuals. This led to creation of a program based on the principles of respect, responsibility, and community through exploration and discovery in a supportive and enriching environment based on the interests of the children through a self-guided curriculum.

The Early Learner (EL) (pre-school) program - which is truly an academic program, and not a day care - for three and four year olds joined Foothills in 1998.  Borrowing tenets of the Reggio approach, this program received a $208,000 grant from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation to create a classroom and laboratory school for pre-school age children at Foothills School. 

As Foothills School has evolved, the EL philosophy and approach have become not only the foundation of a comprehensive Foothills education, but also a strong influence on the rest of the school.  The EL program embraces the following tenets inspired by the Reggio approach:

A Strong Image of the Child
Early Learner teachers hold at the center of their approach an image of children as being strong, capable and full of potential.  Rather than focusing on the weaknesses of students, the program’s philosophy is to focus on the talents, gifts and individual uniqueness that each child brings to share with the community.  This image of children being capable thinkers whose ideas should be taken seriously permeates throughout Foothills School.

The Environment
Foothills School provides a large, beautiful EL classroom that serves as a “teacher in the class,” and shows children that their education is important and valuable to the adults in their lives.  Creative materials are plentiful to allow children to express their thoughts, creativity, ideas and theories.  It is an environment that lets children be in charge of their learning and reinforces the idea that adults think they are capable of great things.

The Role of the Teacher
In the EL program, the teacher’s role is to create a stimulating and exciting environment where children feel free to take risks and discover what amazes them.  The teacher supports students as they take personal risks, learn how to negotiate and problem solve, and become a contributing member of the class community. 

A Negotiated Curriculum
Individual, unstructured play and work time are an important part of every day, providing children needed opportunities to explore and feel comfortable within the classroom community.  Small and large group projects grow out of the interests of students, teachers, and parents, and evolve from group discussion and interest.  Teachers track student interests, questions, and ideas through careful documentation, which is later shared during negotiated curriculum planning with EL teachers and parents, to create authentic extensions and new directions for projects.

Expression in Many Languages
The philosophy of the EL program is that pre-literate children are capable thinkers, able to represent their thoughts and to remember and revisit learning using many “languages of expression.”  Early Learners express themselves using the languages of music, art, science, drawing and writing, math, performing, and discussion.  They investigate their own theories, extending their own thinking processes through interaction with their classroom teachers, other parents, and children in the classroom. 




Early Learners Progam
Recommended Sources
Learn more about our approach at Foothills...

Cadwell, Louise B. Bringing Learning to Life: A Reggio Approach to Early Childhood Education. New York, NY: Teachers College Press, 2002.

Cadwell, L. (1997). "Bringing Reggio Emilia home:An innovative approach to early childhood education." Teachers College Press, New York. 

Edwards, C.,Gandini L., & Forman, G. (Eds.) (1998). "The Hundred Languages of Children". Reggio Emilia, Italy: Reggio Emilia.
Students learn to use and respect a lot of tools in their hands-on education.
The environment is filled with many interesting things that spark the interests and creativity of children.
Students have a a great time at Foothills' EL program - every day!
How to Apply

The Foothills School EL program is highly sought after by families that are looking for an authentic learning experience for their young child. As a result, there are always many more applicants than there are openings in our 32-student pre-school classroom.

Parents are recommended to make contact with Foothills at least one year prior to planned enrollment.

The school requires that students be three-years-old by September 1 of the enrollment year and does not make exceptions to this requirement. In addition, for the health and safety of our community, all enrolled students are required to be fully potty trained.

Click here to visit our application page on the website.

© 2009   Foothills School of Arts & Sciences. All Rights Reserved
Coming Soon...a look at what the students are doing this year - learning about sharks!
Click here to access the Early Learner Curriculum Map, an overview of instruction in the EL classroom.