La Piccola Scuola

At La Piccola Scuola di Seattle we are committed to child-centered learning. The child is an active participant of the experience, using her natural curiosity to propel learning. The teacher carefully observes the students and understands what engages them. We believe in the magic of the student, teacher and materials working together to foster a nurturing environment. No previous knowledge of Italian needed! Full immersion means the students, and parents, will learn through doing.

Dida, our teacher, is versed in both the Reggio Emilia approach for early childhood education and in Italian as a second language instruction. She fuses together the most effective methodologies for a one of a kind full immersion experience.

Classes are tailored to the developmental phase of the child. We pay attention to the specific needs and competencies of children as they grow. Lessons are comprised of rotating themes. Our themes grow with the students: we begin with shapes, textures and self-image for younger ones, while we focus on community, nature and family for older students.

For a portion of the class we employ the Total Physical Response method. Total Physical Response (TPR) uses both the target word and body movement in tandem so as to coordinate the two in the brain. The instructor mimics the action as its being uttered, students then mimic the teacher. TPR, along with games and songs, reinforce a safe and pressure free environment to learn Italian. After all, children learn through play!