On Tuesday, January 14, the Bank Street Education Center and the Trust for Learning hosted a webinar titled Ideal Learning 101: How to Create an Equitable and Child-Centered Early Childhood Program. This virtual event brought together early childhood experts to discuss innovative approaches that prioritize equity and child-centered learning.
The webinar centered on the principles of ideal learning inspired by the renowned early childhood pedagogies of Montessori, Reggio Emilia, HighScope, Tools of the Mind, Bank Street College of Education, Friends Center for Children, and Waldorf. These principles emphasize play in child development, inclusive practices, meaningful educator-family connections, adaptable environments, and empowering children and families by building on their strengths.
The event, which welcomed more than 75 educators, directors, coaches, specialists, and other early childhood professionals, featured a panel of ideal learning coaches from the Bank Street Education Center and members of the Ideal Learning Head Start Network. This network connects Head Start leaders nationwide to promote the integration of ideal learning approaches into their programs, ensuring that children from low-income communities benefit from innovative and holistic early education.
“The principles are a framework and are intended to enable educators to really understand and see themselves in the quality programs,” said Kristina Satchell, Coach, Bank Street Education Center. “It’s a way to provide an anchor to the work that you’re already doing. You can build a community of shared principles of high-quality early childhood education and it can really inform quality rating programs and influence policy decisions.”
The panelists provided an overview of the principles of ideal learning and shared insights from their implementation experiences at various Head Start sites. They emphasized the transformative impact of applying these principles, noting improved outcomes for children and stronger relationships with families.
“In visiting some of the programs in the Ideal Learning Head Start Network, we find examples of thoughtfully created and accessible indoor and outdoor spaces to support engagement and curiosity in different environments,” said Michelle Brown-Grant, Coach, Bank Street Education Center. “In classrooms, the materials, spaces, and processes are purposefully chosen to support an emergent approach that reflects children’s interests and their wonderings.”
Attendees left the webinar equipped with actionable strategies to apply the principles of ideal learning in their own settings. These included fostering play-based, equitable, and child-centered environments and building collaborative partnerships with families to support children’s development.
This event underscores the Bank Street Education Center’s commitment to advancing high-quality early education through innovative and inclusive practices. To discover the work of the Early Childhood Education Team at the Bank Street Education Center and explore opportunities for partnership, visit our webpage.