Good Beginnings Last a Lifetime
The start of school highlights the importance of a child’s primary years. As they enter their classrooms, young children’s openness and inquisitiveness show us why this brief yet distinctive period of development is so foundational. It is a time to cultivate good habits of mind and character and to inspire a lifelong love of learning.
“We believe in the importance of good beginnings because of the transformative changes we see in children every day,” says Maureen Murphy, Head of The Children’s School, which specializes in teaching and learning for students ages 3 to 8. “Our work has taught us that everything matters when it comes to ensuring that each child learns deeply and feels known, seen, and heard by teachers. That is what builds self-confidence, independence, and respect for others.”
“Everything matters” reflects the School’s belief in nurturing young children’s potential, a conviction shaped by more than 60 years of observing and teaching children and informed by the insights of child development pioneers John Dewey, Maria Montessori, and Jean Piaget. More recent research has further illuminated the importance of these early years, showing how experiences and responsive relationships help shape the developing brain and lay the groundwork for future learning.
Research into the developing brain offers remarkable insight into this formative period. The brain is extraordinarily flexible, with more than one million new neural connections forming every second during the first few years of life. Early experiences strengthen the connections used most often, while others are gradually pruned to make the brain more efficient. Responsive, back-and-forth relationships with caring adults are especially important in this process, helping to build the neural architecture that supports communication, social development, and future learning.
At The Children’s School, this understanding shapes children’s everyday experience. “Connection before content” is woven into the School’s approach, with teachers building relationships that create an atmosphere of respect and trust in which children feel known and understood. A carefully prepared environment gives children the order, materials, and freedom to explore with purpose. Individualized lessons in literacy, mathematics, numeracy, and problem-solving help children develop skills while learning how to learn. Purposeful play, independent exploration, and collaboration are balanced with guidance and structure, while experiences in music, art, Spanish, movement, and the natural world broaden children’s understanding and invite them to discover new interests. Teachers continually reflect on their practice and deepen their own learning so they can respond thoughtfully to the children in their care.
This is the foundation of a good beginning: a child who feels secure enough to explore, confident enough to try, and supported enough to persevere. These early experiences do more than shape a child’s days at school; they help build the neural pathways that support learning, relationships, and growth for years to come.
“Good beginnings last a lifetime,” says Murphy. “That is why we have created a learning experience that meets children where they are, serves the almost infinite universe of their curiosity, and supports their growth and boundless enthusiasm for deciphering the world.”
The Children’s School serves children ages 3 to 8 and is located at 118 Scofieldtown Road in Stamford, Connecticut. Families are invited to tour the campus and meet the school community at an Open House on Friday, October 2, from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information, call 203-329-8815 or visit www.childrensschool.org.
