Christine Lipari-Althaus teaches the three-year span of the Younger Group. She "lives the day" with her students, carefully nurturing the group of six through nine-year-olds as they develop into a caring, concerned community of learners.

Academics begin to have a more traditionally structured form in the YG, with a strong basis in problem solving. The children are encouraged to find and use their own strengths as learners to build their skills through a large variety of activities and equipment.

The classroom is bright and busy. Christine encourages movement and talking, because children need to do both to learn. The whole YG works on many things together, like plays, singing, group books, and a sense of group responsibility. They also work in small learning groups, teaching each other, and as individuals, developing their own ideas, work habits and projects.

Christine believes that children in these age ranges "need a wide path for learning.”

Younger Group Newsletter/Blog