My program is a small, mixed-age group, and we all become very attached to each other--it really is very much like a family. I am located in Boston, close to the Longwood Medical Area. I have a well-equipped home with three levels of interesting space and a small backyard. We also have a wagon-for-six for trips around the neighborhood, and a minivan filled with car seats (and with a triple stroller folded up in back) for field trips to the zoo, the science museum, and other cool places around Boston. The mixed-age grouping contributes to a cooperative rather than a competitive environment--it's the norm to have a different skill level, since children are different ages, and your friends will just naturally offer to help if you don't know how to do something.

The curriculum is child-centered and play-based, by which I mean that I guide activities mostly by preparing the environment and selecting the playthings. Then I let the children engage in play and discovery. I'm here to model appropriate behavior, set limits, read books, add or subtract materials, keep everybody clean, fed, safe, and loved, and generally keep things moving smoothly. We have a wonderful time!

I have three major goals for the children in my group: positive self-concept, social skills, and language skills. If you are confident and excited about your world and your ideas, know how to make and keep friends, and communicate well, you are well on your way to academic and personal success.

I am licensed for six children, but prefer to have a group of four or five per day, depending on the ages of the children. I sometimes do have six children, when alumni come to visit or when I simply can't work out the schedule any other way. Children typically start the program at age one and continue until age four or five.

I try to provide everything so that parents don't have to pack a huge bag each day. Food, diapers, and field trip expenses are all included in the daily rate--there are no extra charges. I serve a ovo-lacto vegetarian menu. There are lots of pets--turtle, geckos, fish--which provide a wonderful anchor for the science curriculum, since they all need different food and different environments. We also do things like hatching chicken eggs, planting seeds, making collections of pine cones and other natural objects. A dog and two cats live in the house, and petting and playing with them contribute a lot of comfort and interest.