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Nuestra filosofía
Our Philosophy

Bilingual Immersion

My family comes from Lima, Peru.  As a first-generation American, I was impacted greatly by assimilation.  Language loss was, by far, one of the most difficult parts of assimilating to a new country and culture.  It has impacted me so much that I have dedicated every part of my career to language preservation in young children.  Being able to connect to your culture through language is one of the greatest gifts you can allow a child to have.

 

I am so proud to be bilingual, and to be raising bilingual and bicultural children.  I am very excited to share this passion with you and your family.  Whether you are a Latino hoping to provide your child with continued bilingual skills, or a family hoping your child can learn another language, there is a place for your family within the community of the Valencia Nature School!

All Outdoor Classroom

Come and join the movement of outdoor learning!

Washington State was the first in our nation to approve outdoor classrooms. 

 

An outdoor classroom provides children with:

  • more space to self-regulate

  • a stimulating environment 

  • increased opportunities for physical activity

  • hands-on experiences

  • more chances to develop risk-assessment

  • an empowered learning experience

  • improved emotional wellness

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Combining Language with Outdoor Play

The brain learns best through active learning and social interaction.  Providing your child with peers who speak Spanish  AND time in nature creates a perfect environment to practice, preserve, or learn the language.  Kids remember specific vocabulary and phrases more readily when it is accompanied by an exciting experience or event. 

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Let Valencia Nature School give your child not only a language-rich environment, but a calm place to grasp the social/emotional learning young children need for success in the future.​

Social/Emotional Wellness

We know that your child's social/emotional wellness is of the upmost importance.  Coaching children through their big feelings is a job we take great pride in.  We are highly trained in social/emotional pedagogy, and love to work with families to find the best way to support  little ones! 

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At the Valencia Nature School, we practice Verbal Mapping as a way to support behavior development, encourage problem solving, and model language use in both Spanish and English.

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Research shows that an outdoor classroom:

  • intrinsically motivates children

  • helps children to find calm

  • builds resilience, and

  • reduces overall stress and anxiety

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Research shows that bilingual children:

  • have increased ability to regulate emotional responses when switching between languages

  • can model culture specific manners of emotional regulation

  • have increased confidence and academic success when able to practice language skills with similar peers

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