Meaning discovery, Scoperta begins as a toddler classroom and loops into a young preschool classroom. The classroom provides an environment that encourages children to explore and discover more complex materials, social interactions, and a broader environment.
My name is Lauren Huyck and I am the afternoon lead for the Scoperta classroom. I started as a teaching assistant when the center was still part of Aquinas in 2010. When we became the GREDC in 2012, I stayed on. In 2014, I was excited to accept the role of lead teacher.
I have a Bachelors in psychology and writing, and an associates in early childhood education. I am currently working on getting a Masters in psychology with a concentration in child development.
I love seeing the children grow and learn. There are so many developmental milestones that I get to see and experience. I fell in love with the Reggio approach and work to incorporate it in all my experiences with children. It has definitely taught me to treat children as citizens of the world.
I honestly could go on about how much I love the work I do and how passionate I feel about every child having quality care but that would take eons. So I will end with these two quotes:
“To take children seriously is to value them for who they are right now rather than adults-in-the-making.”
Alfie Kohn
If you trust play, you will not have to control your child’s development as much. Play will raise the child in ways you can never imagine.
Vince Gowmon
I have been working in the Scoperta classroom since October 2022. I am currently completing my bachelor’s in psychology with a counseling certification. I am also minoring in sociology with an emphasis on women and gender studies, while completing a certification in the child advocacy studies training program (CAST).
I have always had a passion for working and being around kids, and working at the GREDC has only expanded on those interests. The imagination and creativity of these kiddos is something that I wish would be fostered throughout adulthood. I love working in the age group I am in (1-3), the amount of growth in personality, relationships, language, and thinking is astounding. They’ve truly helped me grow as a person and also in my own creativity as well.
Kids in our society today are seen as less worthy and competent than adults, so hearing the framework the Reggio Emilia approach preaches is amazing. It helps bring the experiences of children to light and how the world can be adapted to their benefit.
Outside of work I am an avid reader and love to delve into fiction literature. Along with this, I spend time with my dog, Keira, and I am currently learning how to knit.
Risky play in early childhood is an important way of encouraging children’s development of self-confidence, resilience, executive function abilities as well as risk management. It
