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“I knew I would cry at my daughter’s first day of school. I wasn’t ready for her to grow –up just yet. But when I met Hancock’s director at the Lexington Preschool Open House Night, I just knew it was the right school. I feel like when I dropped her off on her first day that I was leaving her with family. I cannot say enough good things about Hancock. My son is ready in two years and the bigger hurdle is that I am ready.”
-- Tamara J.
HNS Parent
Hancock Nursery School provides a developmentally and age appropriate preschool experience for the whole child. We promote mastery of social, emotional, physical and cognitive skills according to the individual pace and style of each child. Our teaching goals are aimed at the development of healthy self-esteem, independence, and respect for self and others.
The philosophy of Hancock Nursery School is guided by the belief that young children learn best through play. As such, our curriculum encourages the exploration and discovery of different ideas, feelings, and interests during play and through a variety of media. We promote self-expression and growth through music, movement, arts, crafts, and pretend play.
Overall, the school takes a developmental approach to teaching. There are three main goals for every age group:
- To help children make a happy transition between home and school through nurturance and positive guidance.
- To expose children to a variety of developmentally appropriate experiences and encourage creativity through exploration, questioning, and experimentation.
- To help children begin the process of socialization with peers and other adults and to introduce the child to the art of negotiation and communication.
Another important goal of our curriculum is to help children learn acceptable behavior. No child is ever permitted to harm another, either emotionally or physically, and both self-respect and respect for others are strongly encouraged. We reinforce positive behavior with praise, guide children toward constructive activity with re-direction, and set a few clear limits and rules for safety and respect for others. We work on solving problems together through conversation and compromise and we help children learn to talk over differences to help develop respect and empathy for the feelings of others.