Meeting Educators' Needs

Many educators of young children report that they need more background knowledge to comfortably lead learners when exploring various topics and subject areas, particularly in math and science. Similarly, experiences with nature for children and their families outside of the school or learning center vary tremendously.  Knowledge, attitudes and behaviors with respect to nature are equally varied.

Growing Up WILD demonstrates through its materials and training programs how early childhood learning objectives can be reached through use of the outdoors and nature-themed activities combined with art, music, and play. It also builds the confidence of early childhood educators to lead outdoor explorations by providing ready-made activities, easily digestible background information, and high quality personal training programs. 

Click here to learn more about connecting children to nature.

Correlations to Head Start Domains

Head Start is a U.S. federal program with the overall goal of readying young children for school. It offers educational, health, nutritional, and social services to young children that enhance social and cognitive development.

The Head Start Child Outcomes Framework provides long-term goals for early childhood programs connected with Head Start, and is a helpful resource for anyone involved in early childhood education. The framework identifies eleven general domains: (1) physical development and health, (2) social and emotional development, (3) creative arts expression, (4) approaches to learning, (5) social studies knowledge and skills, (6) logic and reasoning, (7) literacy and knowledge skills (8) language development, (9) english language development, (10) mathematics knowledge and skills, (11) science knowledge and skills. It also specifies over 100 sample indicators of children’s learning within those domains.