Children Still Play At Leila Day

This must be the first blog post in Leila Day Nursery School’s 132 year history! While new technologies often help us in so many ways, the work we do at Leila Day is based on core values that haven’t changed much over the years. We help children to learn as they play, to explore the world around them, to make discoveries through hands-on experiences. No computers, but books; no video games, but big blocks, markers, and egg crates. Of course, we carefully read the new research on children’s learning. Trends come and go, but we are gratified to see that the research confirms our belief: at the preschool level, children learn best through play. The research also is clear that while all children benefit from attending a quality preschool program, children from low-income families benefit the most. They are more likely begin kindergarten ready to learn and succeed, and are also more likely graduate on time and get jobs. That is why it is so important to us that all families can afford to send their children to Leila Day. With active fundraising and support from a variety of sources, including the United Way, we are able to provide full-day child care on a sliding scale, based on family income. We are proud that this year, approximately 80% of our families receive financial assistance. As we look forward to the new year at Leila Day, we remain focused on our commitment to providing our high quality early care and education services to preschool aged children from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds. So, with this blog post, a Leila Day “first,” and also a pause to remember that play is the foundation of childhood.