Published Nov. 1, 2007

When Jon looks back at his days at the Winnetka Public School Nursery, he’ll know that on Sept. 28, 2007, he shared a valuable bit of information with his fellow junior kindergartners:

Spiders can’t live with lizards.

“Don’t you know lizards eat spiders? I think there’s an invisible sign that says that,” he told classmates Sarah and Chloe, at their make-believe playhouse construction site (the nursery floor).

And if there’s any question about how little Jon came to that conclusion -- or for that matter, what Sarah and Chloe thought about it -- the exchange was well documented.

The nursery keeps detailed records of the tots‚ interactions and intellectual growth, sort of a scrapbook for learning, said Sherry Kaufman, director at WPSN.

“We write down what they’re talking about, what’s being said,” she said. “We really try to capture moments of learning.”

The scrapbooks and photo albums are on display at the nursery for the children to peek at or to compare notes with their buddies.

And, of course, parents and teachers are free to sift through the pages, too.

The nursery recently was recognized for such efforts and teaching methods. It was among the first early childhood programs to earn accreditation under new standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

The organization sets voluntary guidelines for early childhood programs and daycares.

The current standards are based on more than 400 criteria, and the process includes on-site evaluations.

Kaufman called the accreditation a “gold seal” for the nursery, and she commended her co-workers for completing the lengthy process.

“(NAEYC) looks at every aspect of the organization,” she said.

One of the updated criteria is extensive record-keeping. The faculty uses written and photo documents to educate the kids, as well as themselves.

The teachers learn which techniques and subjects have the most impact on youngsters, and they use that to frame the lessons.

Mary Bell, a teacher at WPSN, said reviewing written dialogues can help pinpoint emotional and intellectual development.

“Reflection is very important,” she said. “We’ve been exploring approaches for years.”

For instance, there was that time in September when young Libby realized the size of two rabbits in a photo were different because “one is close and one is far away.”

Or when Loren, a year ago, wasn’t too far off by describing an election as when “you can pick a lot of people for your team.”

In addition, the records show how well the children play with others and develop teamwork skills.

Winnetka Public School Nursery was founded in 1927 by Carleton Washburne, superintendent at the time for Winnetka Public Schools, and Rose Alschuler, a renowned pioneer for childhood development and founding member of the NAEYC accrediting organization.

The not-for-profit school is housed in the Skokie School at 1155 Oak Street, and since its founding, the teachers have embraced child-responsive techniques -- reviewing old dialogues, for example.

“That’s who we are; we didn’t do it for this accreditation,” Kaufman said. “We just made it visible.”

By CHRISTOPHER PETERSON
Staff Writer