Principles of Ideal Learning in Action: A Look at Manny Cantor Center
Identify the principles in the video.
What examples from your own practice can you describe that put these principles into action?
What challenges have you encountered in enacting these principles?
What supports do you need/have to enable to make these principles come to life?
Instruction is Personalized to Acknowledge Each Child’s Unique Development and Abilities
In this video each child is focused on and invited to respond to the song. How do the teachers respond?
How do you personalize your approach to different children in your teaching practice?
Young Children and Adults Learn Through Relationships
This clip illustrates how teachers engage with individual children to both personalize and build relationships with children. How are the teachers doing this?
Reflect on an interaction with a child that you have had that does this.
How does the interaction between children and between children and adults for infants, toddlers differ from interaction taking place with 3’s and 4’s?
The Environment is Intentionally Designed to Facilitate Exploration, Independence, and Interaction
What skills, understandings, dispositions are children learning from the different centers/activities featured? Explain so that a family member/caregiver/administrator would understand.
How does the layout of the environment for the different age groups (infants, toddlers) differ from the layout for 3’s-4’s?
Interview with School Director Sarah Toles
Reflect on Sarah’s explanation of how teachers communicate and respond to
children. What are the key points about this?
How does the issue of equity shape the practices of the school?
How do the children’s interests shape the curriculum? Give an example.
Reflect on how you can do this in your own practice.
Interview with Two’s Teacher Luis Durango
What are some of the qualities Luis talks about that are needed to
help children express their feelings?
Luis discusses how the environment is set up to support learning. What are the key areas?
- Curriculum – how does curriculum develop and evolve in a child-centered
- learning environment? What is the teacher’s role?
- Language diversity – how is it supported?
- Valuing teachers – Luis talks about the contribution teachers make. Reflect on this and share your perspective.
Resources for Manny Cantor Center
Brochure: https://mannycantor.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/1.2- MCC_EarlyChildhood-bilingual-2024_FINAL_NP-1.pdf
Additional photos:
https://mannycantor.org/family-early-childhood/infant-toddler-center/
https://mannycantor.org/early-childhood-at-mcc-frequently-asked-questions/
https://mannycantor.org/early-childhood-mission-and-philosophy/
100 Languages of Childhood poem:
https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/reggio-emilia-approach/100-linguaggi-en/
