A new day care center uses an Italian education philosophy for kids in early childhood.
Morgantown Child Care, a facility that opened its doors recently off of Green Bag Road, is based in the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education.
The center is owner and operator Jessica Barnhart’s fourth day care center, following three in Pennsylvania. She opened Hopwood Child Care in 2019 and two other locations soon after, in 2020 and 2021. Barnhart set her sights on opening a center in West Virginia as well, and she has done so just in the nick of time—three closed their doors in Morgantown in the past year.
The Reggio Emilia approach is named after the Italian town where it was founded after the Second World War. The method uses teachers as collaborators, guiding children through play and exploration. The environment itself is considered an educator—not all classrooms have four walls—and is designed for learning that fosters the development of the child’s “hundred languages,” a recognition of the infinite potential of each child. Children go outside year ’round, and experiences are geared toward children’s own interests.
Morgantown Child Care is open 6:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and is equipped to care for 52 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Barnhart invites parents to message the facility on Facebook to schedule a tour.
READ MORE ARTICLES FROM MORGANTOWN LOWDOWN
Leave a Reply