WHY CHOOSE BEARFOOT?

Bearfoot is here to reimagine learning by creating an alternative and integrated educational approach that honors the whole child, and fosters strong, healthy connections to the self, community, and nature.

At Bearfoot, you can expect to see our educators engaged with the children, and continuously encouraging curiosity and development.

We emphasize moderate use of technology to enhance the learning experience and teach self-regulation.

We use kind language within the learning environment. We encourage kindness by mirroring the actions we want to see the children achieve.

We understand the dire importance of reaching all developmental milestones and understanding children learn in different ways.

In a nature based learning environment, children are found to be more receptive to information, as well as being more observant and compassionate.

Children will have daily check-ins with themselves, to learn about their bodily needs, such as water and nutrients, as well as self-reflection time.

Why are we different? What separates us from Waldorf and Montessori?
We incorporate different educational theories and incorporate a whole-child approach. We blend and pull the best parts from common early education approaches to create a space with the opportunity to hit all educational milestones and learn in an outdoor space. We add a holistic approach to our teaching to hit all developmental and educational milestones for all learners. These milestones include academics, social-emotional learning, learning to maneuver the natural world, use of technology in moderation and with minimal screen time, and learning about maintaining one's physical health. Additionally, we are set apart by our sliding financial scale provided to all families. We want equal access to Bear Foot by utilizing a sliding financial scale for admission pricing. This scale varies admission pricing per family income.
Technology is inevitable in the modern world. From the way things work, to accessing information to follow curious minds, technology is already an educational tool. We want to turn the immediate thought of technology away from mesmerized entertainment, and towards purposeful, educational use.

We incorporate S.T.E.A.M. into our daily learning: science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. We incorporate topics such as coding, engineering, building, sources of electricity, etc.
We believe that technology and nature can coincide within a learning environment while hitting all developmental milestones and keeping learning exciting.
Montessori vs Reggio vs Waldorf Montessori: Developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, who developed the idea of children acting as sponges, where they can absorb their environment. The Montessori method can be summed up in six core beliefs:1. All children have “absorbent ” minds2. All children experience through “sensitive” periods3. All children want to learn4. All children learn through play and work5. All children pass through stages of development6. All children want to be independent. Reggio Emilia: Theory was named after Reggio Emilia town in Emilia Romagna, Northern Italy where it was first developed. The parents of children after WWII and a young teacher named Malaguzzi observed that the early years of a child’s development are critical and can strongly influence who that child becomes as an individual. The 7 key components that sum up the Reggio Emilia, as stated on the official Reggio Emilia Early Learning Center method are: 1. The child is capable of constructing their learning2. Community is important and children learn by collaborating with their communities3. Humans are natural communicators and children should be encouraged to express themselves4. The environment is the third teacher and must be enriching and supportive5. Teachers are partners, nurturers, and guides to children and help them explore their interests through projects6. A child’s learning must be documented7. Parental participation is vitalWaldorf: Originally known as a Rudolf Steiner school. “Waldorf curriculum is the developing human being and the aim is to prepare children for life.” In the Waldorf approach, the learning process is designed into three parts, engaging

head, heart, and hands— or can be thought of in terms of the three being: thinking, feeling, and doing.

Waldorf educators are viewed as the main individual responsible for aligning a child with the world, themself, and the people around them. “The curriculum emphasizes practical work, which includes, as intrinsic to each year, such activities as handwork, woodwork, gardening, metalwork, craft and design. In addition, Waldorf’s emphasis on entrepreneurial insight and effort is able to develop these skills to be of use in the meaningful participation in society,” as written in Waldorf.org Key Principles.
We want to encourage the next generation to learn who they are and understand the power of connection between their physical health, mental health and the world around them. In order to do this, we are adapting the ‘Whole Child’ theory drawn by Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The Hierarchy of Needs, builds from bottom to top, expressing the importance of having accomplished bottom layers in order to fulfill the one above. First, fulfilling physiological needs in order to fulfill safety needs, then the child’s sense of belonging, followed by esteem, then once all are fulfilled the child comes closest to self-actualization. By drawing from the 5 tenets (as seen in the graph), educators can use this as the foundation they need in order to encourage a learning environment that provides for the child’s physical, cognitive, social and emotional development.The Global Education Organization Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) has “for the last decade” focused on supporting both the Whole Child and the Whole Educator. They are doing this by supporting educators with resources and compassion, additionally by understanding that education needs to adopt more of a holistic approach to reach the needs of each child individually and for a successful learning environment overall, as was written in their 2021 Annual Report.According to the National Education Association, typically, it is only Educational Support Professionals (ESPs) that provide this holistic, whole-child approach in the US. We want to change that.

Every child deserves to feel understood and welcome to be who they are while learning.
1! Children in nature preschools learn by doing and with hands-on activities.
Schools that encourage time spend in nature are often found to have a balanced curriculum that aims to develop the “whole child”— this includes cognitive, physical, social, emotional, and creativity development.

2! Time learning in nature supports creativity and problem-solving.
Paperwork learning is really black and white, and leaves very little room for practicing problem solving skills. Nature learning allows for different perspectives and approaches for children to engage with while solving a problem.

3! Spending long amounts of time in nature helps reduce symptoms of ADHD.
Researchers from the University of Illinois Landscape and Human Health Laboratory who have done studies that related ADHD to time in nature. These studies have shown how children respond inside the classroom after they’ve spend time outside, and the children are found to be more focused, ready to listen, concentration lengthens, and settling can be found to be easier after outdoor time.

4! Learning in nature creates more observant tendencies in children.
Nature observation required patience and understanding, such as observing birds, tending to a garden, and building.

5! Nature schools foster an appreciation of the world around children.
Engagement in an activity, boosts appreciation. Children see the life cycles, and feel the impact that time spent outdoors grants to ones mental health and wellbeing.
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We base our school’s tuition pricing on a sliding scale.

It is very important to us that all families, regardless of their socio-economic status, will have access to joining us! Our sliding scale will be income based and more information will be accessible about this soon.
Bearfoot does not have an official location just yet. Ideally, we would stay within the area of the northern Greater Boston Area. Our team currently works together out of Belmont, MA.