Birdsong
Birdsong is a preschool program held in my home in Ashland. My small group includes children from 2 1/2 to 5 years old. We meet from 9:00 to 1:00 Monday through Thursday mornings. The school environment is my home, where we are cooking, cleaning, mending, and caring for the plants, animals and people which make up this Birdsong family. We spend our mornings together playing, painting, drawing, singing and moving with the words at circle time, and enjoying a story before going home. Mostly the children play, as that's the work of the young child! The curriculum includes building kindness and emotional literacy, learning basic manners and good habits, sensory integration, developing pre-literacy through verse, song and story, and recognition and reverence for the natural world of which we are a part. Cooperation, patience, tolerance, discovery- these are the lessons of preschool.
School here is so much more than play time or child care. We move through three, almost four, seasons together as a group. We experience the seasons both externally and internally, receiving depth in the reflection of nature in our selves. By the end of our school year we have this incredible shared experience in relationship to one another. As a group we are bonded by these shared experiences and they are made richer by the presence of each one of us. The children and I grow together and develop a bond that reaches beyond friendship, into the realms of love.
School here is so much more than play time or child care. We move through three, almost four, seasons together as a group. We experience the seasons both externally and internally, receiving depth in the reflection of nature in our selves. By the end of our school year we have this incredible shared experience in relationship to one another. As a group we are bonded by these shared experiences and they are made richer by the presence of each one of us. The children and I grow together and develop a bond that reaches beyond friendship, into the realms of love.
The Rhythm of the Day
9:00 carpet play (sensory movements/circle)
drop off
free play inside
food preparation
10:30 clean up
bathroom
10:45 snack
activity time (drawing, painting, special craft)
quiet time with books
11:15 circle
11:30 lunch
11:45 story
bathroom
12:00 outside
closing circle
1:00 pick-up
drop off
free play inside
food preparation
10:30 clean up
bathroom
10:45 snack
activity time (drawing, painting, special craft)
quiet time with books
11:15 circle
11:30 lunch
11:45 story
bathroom
12:00 outside
closing circle
1:00 pick-up
The children need the consistency that our daily and weekly rhythms provide, as then they know what to expect and can make graceful transitions throughout our mornings together. The days become known meaningfully as "painting day" or "soup day." We honor the rhythms of the seasons as much of our circle songs and verses reflect what we see in nature at the time and suggest a deeper meaning in our soul life. We come together for family potlucks to mark the beginning and end of our school year, and we celebrate seasonal festivals such as Michaelmas and the Lantern Walk in the fall, and May Day in the spring.
The Teacher
My name is Jenny Johnson. I grew up in Texas and Kansas, and received a B.A. in Holistic Education from Lewis and Clark College in Portland in 1997. After graduation, my husband and I moved to Ashland, his hometown. He received his Masters in Teaching at SOU while I studied midwifery and assisted at a Waldorf home preschool. I was inspired to continue working with young children in a home setting and found the Waldorf pedagogy for the early years to be full of common sense and respect for a healthy childhood.
I participated in the Waldorf Kindergarten intensive training at the Rudolf Steiner College in 2002, and have also taken education courses at the Naropa Institute and SOU. I began teaching in my home in 2005. I continue my studies of children and education through conferences, reading, and conversing with other teachers. I call upon my academic foundation, my vast experience with children, and my intuition when working with families and the children in my care. I endeavor to educate parents and to serve as a resource for families as they navigate the wild roads of parenting.
I love to sing, swim, travel, and enjoy all kinds of dance. My husband Koeby is a Social Studies teacher in Medford. We have one daughter and five sons spanning ages 6-21 years old. We strive to do good work and have fun in this life. It is my honor to serve my community and support families as an early childhood teacher.
I participated in the Waldorf Kindergarten intensive training at the Rudolf Steiner College in 2002, and have also taken education courses at the Naropa Institute and SOU. I began teaching in my home in 2005. I continue my studies of children and education through conferences, reading, and conversing with other teachers. I call upon my academic foundation, my vast experience with children, and my intuition when working with families and the children in my care. I endeavor to educate parents and to serve as a resource for families as they navigate the wild roads of parenting.
I love to sing, swim, travel, and enjoy all kinds of dance. My husband Koeby is a Social Studies teacher in Medford. We have one daughter and five sons spanning ages 6-21 years old. We strive to do good work and have fun in this life. It is my honor to serve my community and support families as an early childhood teacher.
