Member Spotlight
Wild Oak Preschool
Photo Credit: Wild Oak Preschool
Wild Oak Preschool is a nature-based preschool program located in the rural community of Applegate Valley in Southern Oregon. The preschool is licensed with the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care as a home-based program, and currently serves 10 children. Wild Oak will soon expand to serve up to 16 children this spring.
The preschool operates on the founder’s 5-acre farmhouse property. There, Wild Oak has a dedicated indoor nature-inspired classroom, along with various outdoor areas of exploration including a kids naturalist cabin, a boat that’s turned into a sandbox, various nature trails, a mud kitchen, trees for climbing, experiences with farm animals including sheep and chickens, a garden, and an orchard. In the winter, children spend at least two hours each day outdoors, and in more favorable conditions, they spend more than half of the day outdoors.
Natural Start spoke with Wild Oak Preschool’s founder, Heather Paladini, to learn more.
Please describe Charlotte Mason's education philosophy and how it is reflected in Wild Oak's curriculum and practice.
When I set out to create Wild Oak Preschool, I was deeply inspired by what I read about Charlotte Mason. The main aspect of a Charlotte Mason preschool is prioritizing children’s time spent outside each day to connect with nature and follow their curiosities. Charlotte Mason’s philosophy is rooted in the belief that children are born persons. The parent and educator’s focus should be on educating the whole child, and understanding that they learn through play, experience, and observation. The foundation of a Charlotte Mason preschool experience is rooted in developing good habits and life skills, playing and exploring outdoors, getting acquainted with nature through exploring with the five senses, and reading living books–books that make the subjects children are interested in come alive.
Our monthly learning themes follow the gentle flow of the seasons. They are inspired by and connected to our local natural environment. We explore different topics and themes through many lenses, including hands-on outdoor exploration, indoor scientific examination, living books, arts, and music. The children have ample time for free and creative play both indoors and out. We go on nature walks, take care of farm animals, swing, collect pinecones and acorns, bird watch, examine insects and plants under microscopes and magnifying glasses, play in the dirt and mud, and make magic potions in all kinds of weather.
Can you share about the process of becoming a newly licensed program with the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Childcare? What advice do you have for other nature preschools in Oregon (and other licensed states) who want to become licensed?
Since then, I have begun the process of expanding my license to become a certified provider. This will allow for increased capacity of Wild Oak. I have been working with a few other agencies to guide me through the process, including my local Small Business Development Center, Oregon Child Care Alliance, and Child Care Resource Network. I highly recommend Oregon programs looking to obtain licensure to connect with these organizations for support and guidance, as well as training opportunities.
Oregon will soon be the third state to offer a path to licensing for outdoor nature-based childcare programs, and I am very excited about all the opportunities that will open up for programs and families across the state!
Are you accepting public funding for children now that Wild Oak is a licensed program? If so, how is that going for you and your families?
Being licensed provides Wild Oak the opportunity to accept Employment Related Day Care (ERDC), Oregon Department of Human Services’ child care subsidy that makes childcare and preschool programs more accessible for families with lower income. This is important because I want Wild Oak to be a high-quality, nature-inspired preschool that is accessible to all families regardless of income.
About 50% of my current enrollment is state-funded through ERDC. For many families in my rural community, childcare would not be an option without ERDC, and for many others, they would have to travel 30 minutes or more to utilize their subsidies elsewhere because we are in a childcare desert. Being able to offer a nature-based preschool that accepts subsidized payments here in our beautiful rural community is something I am very grateful for, and I know the families I serve feel the same way.
