Toddlers and Parents Benefit from Principia's Acorn Program
Earlier this year, The New York Times’ Sunday Book Review section led with reviews of two new publications that address “the paradox of modern parenthood.” The articles noted cultural and epochal differences in approaches to raising children, with one of them noting, “We’re confused about what child rearing requires . . . .”
In contrast to this bafflement about the “right” way to raise a child, the approach espoused by Principia founder Mary Kimball Morgan offers a simple yet profound counterpoint: “. . . from infancy children should be taught obedience to Principle, forgetfulness of self, patience, endurance, courage in the right, self-control, and faith in God” (Education at The Principia, p. 23).
This impersonal approach to the education and nurturing of children is applicable to all levels of Principia and is exemplified in the very earliest stages in the School’s Acorn program for toddlers and their parents.
Begun in 1975, the Acorn program has undergone changes in emphasis and size over the decades, but at its heart is Mrs. Morgan’s injunction that education can never begin too early and that the involvement of parents in their children’s preschool experiences is integral. Thus, the “play-in” and the “co-op” have always been part of Acorn, which currently serves children from walking age (about one-year old) to those turning three during the school year. Weekly Tuesday-morning play-ins begin with singing time and side-by-side play and discovery, as parents interact with their child and a range of toys, games, puzzles, and art. During the morning, parents can attend a one-hour seminar led by the director of the Early Childhood program or featuring an experienced Christian Science educator, while Acorn staff care for their children.
According to Acorn Director Hannah Brantingham, “The play-in class is the foundation for the program and provides a spot for parents to interact, learn from other parents and teachers, and offer social interaction with other children.”
The Thursday co-op is offered to two- to three-year-olds, and is slightly more structured. Each session includes one or more parent volunteers supporting the teachers, and the demands are slightly higher, in terms of learning how to sit in a circle, focusing on shapes and letters, and engaging in relevant art projects, sensory stations, and puzzle time. The Toy Library is a unique aspect of Acorn, where a staff member helps parents and children choose toys and puzzles that are interesting and appropriate and can be checked out and taken home for a week or two.
Brantingham, who participated in Acorn with her three children, greatly values “the community building the Acorn program encourages . . . and loved being able to get to know the other children as well as the parents.” Similarly, Grace and Jordan Krueger, who moved to St. Louis from San Francisco and now attend Acorn with their two daughters, found they were “embraced immediately” by the program. They also treasure the “multitude of choices and the richness of activities” their little ones can engage in, and they find the parenting seminars relevant and useful.