Ashlar's programs follow a simple daily rhythm. Activities may not occur at the exact same time every day, but we work to ensure that, as often as possible, they occur in the same order. This predictable pattern helps us to achieve many of our goals. 1) Children learn very quickly what to expect, and what is expected of them, while attending our programs. This leads to feelings of both security and confidence, as children display calculated behaviors that many may find surprisingly mature, responsible, and helpful. 2) Routines create a sense of certainty that many children need in order to feel comfortable, especially neurodiverse children or children with anxiety, a history of trauma, or other developmental differences. This leads to a community that feels more welcoming, proves more inclusive and becomes more diverse. 3) The framework allows our Mentors to weave in points of growth, naturally and effectively. The points of growth are deliberately worked into our child-lead activities in order to nurture the 7 intelligences for whole-child development.
Simple Daily Rhythm for Farm-Time Friendships: Felicity, Flutter & Frolic
Program Times: 9:00-12:30 weekly on Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays
9:00 Program begins.
Doors will open at 8:55 for anybody who arrives a few minutes early. If you arrive before 8:55, please wait in your car or visit our animals out front (watch for cars and stay on the outside of the animals' fence, please), to allow our Mentors to complete their preparations for the day.
Welcoming Invitations (20-30 minutes)
Children will be warmly welcomed into a studio full of invitations, downstairs in the barn (all ages together, 18 children total). There will be many options to choose from, some activities that will be more attractive to older children, some to younger, and many that can be adapted to different levels of skills and abilities. Examples include puzzles, books, art supplies, craft projects, etc.
Circle Time/ Rug Circle/ Fire Circle (20-40 minutes)
Circle Time: Ages 3-5 meet upstairs for Circle Time. They sing their Welcoming Song and follow with 2-3 other songs, discuss the date and weather, practice counting, explore the letter of the week (including show and tell, which involves children quickly sharing anything they brought from home or found in the barn that starts with that letter), read/recite the poem for the month, and the Mentor reads aloud, followed by brief discussion to promote comprehension and literacy skills.
Rug Circle: Ages 6-8 meet downstairs for Rug Circle. They sing their Welcoming Song (or say their Welcoming Chant). They are welcomed to the day, briefly discussing the date and weather. Somebody reads or recites a poem. Children are assigned show-and-tell days, so the child/ren assigned for that day share what they brought and help others to understand why it is special
to them while their peers are encouraged to ask meaningful questions and engage. Their Mentor reads aloud a book or chapters from a book specifically selected for their developmental level, followed by a brief discussion.
Fire Circle: Ages 9-12 meet in the kitchen around the woodstove for Fire Circle. They are asked if anybody has anything to share, which may be an object or story. Peers are encouraged to engage in meaningful conversation regarding what is shared. They then move into their "discussion topic", which is something they were asked to contemplate at the end of the previous
week. They move into reading aloud (The Mentor and/or Questers can take turns reading the passages, as they volunteer). The Mentors facilitate a discussion about some of the topics read. This may or may not tie into the current or upcoming "discussion topic".
Indoor Open Choice (20-40 minutes)
As the groups finish their Circle Time, Rug Circle, and Fire Circle, they join their peers upstairs for Indoor Open Choice. There may also be some options left available from the Welcoming Invitations earlier. There will also be all of the regular books, toys and games upstairs, sometimes embellished with new details related to the animal of the month, season, upcoming
holiday, etc.. Usually upstairs, but occasionally downstairs activities will be allowed as Mentors are available to supervise. 2-4 children end early to assist the Nutrition Mentor in preparing the morning snack.
Morning Nutrition (~20 minutes)
We follow a garden-to-table curriculum, and the children are involved in preparing some of the ingredients for their snack, which they grew in our gardens.
Farmtime Responsibilities (20-30 minutes)
After paying a special visit to the farm animal of the month to make observations and give special attention, the children are divided up according to the chores they volunteer for today. Tend the gardens, feed the chickens, gather eggs, rake the duck pen, water the cows, feed the pigs, visit the goats... etc.
Outdoor Open Choice and Invitations (60-90 minutes)
As they finish their chores, the children gather in our barn's backyard, where they can choose from several areas in which to engage in unstructured free play with their peers. At least once per week, there is an Outdoor Invitation, which is an optional Mentor-guided activity, where children can explore new concepts about the world we live in. This may be a science project, an art project, or something else. Also at least once per week, children may accompany a Mentor to spend extra time with the farm animal of the month, if they choose.
Lunchtime (~30 minutes)
We provide simple and nutritious lunches on Wednesdays and Thursdays (eg, turkey and swiss sandwich, carrot sticks with hummus, and apple sauce), and on Fridays we have a more special and involved lunch from our garden to table curriculum.
12:25 Well Wishes & Gratitudes
The children pack up their belongings and prepare for their parents' arrival. Gathered in a circle, they take turns offering things they were grateful for this morning, or things they wish for their friends until we return. A special Goodbye Song is sung, and the barn doors are opened to allow parents in to pick-up. Children may wait on the front porch with Mentors, but may not enter the parking circle until their parents have come to walk with them.
Program ends at 12:30.
Simple Daily Rhythm for Farmers in Training: Earthworms & Mantises
Program Times: 1:00-4:00pm weekly on Fridays
1:00 Program begins. Doors will open at 12:55 for anybody who arrives a few minutes early. If you arrive before 12:55, please wait in your car or visit our animals out front (watch for cars and stay on the outside of the animals' fence, please), to allow our Mentors to complete their preparations for the day.
Arrival Activities (15-20 minutes)
This may include greeting the animals, working on puzzles or art, etc. as we wait for everybody to arrive and settle in.
Greeting Meeting (15-20 minutes)
Check in with one another and discuss the plan for the day.
Indoor Activity (30-45 Minutes)
This could be a craft, reading, game, project, etc. Often, these activities are guided by the animal of the month, the season, an upcoming holiday or event, or what is being planted on the farm at that time.
Nutrition Break (15-20 minutes)
We follow a garden-to-table curriculum, and the children are involved in preparing some of the ingredients for their snack, which they grew in our gardens.
Outdoor Activities (30-45 minutes)
The cohorts split up for developmentally-geared animal and plant care.
Outdoor Open Choice (30-60 minutes)
Meet up again for peer-guided activities.
Closing Circle (5-10 minutes)
Express gratitudes, touch on plans for next week, wish each other well until we meet again.
Program ends at 4:00.
Simple Daily Rhythm for Nature-Based Academic Programs
Program Times: 12:00-4:00pm weekly on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays
12:00 Program begins. Doors will open at 11:55 for anybody who arrives a few minutes early. If you arrive before 12:55, please wait in your car or visit our animals out front (watch for cars and stay on the outside of the animals' fence, please), to allow our Mentors to complete their preparations for the day.
12:00-12:45 Lunch. Questers will begin by preparing some garden-fresh ingredients to incorporate into their lunches. Mentors will lead discussions on nutrition, gardens and farms as the children choose ingredients to build their individual lunches, and will enjoy eating together, family-style.
12:45-1:45/2:00 Project-based learning activities. Children will be invited to engage in enrichment activities for 60-75 minutes, according to the subject theme for the day (Monday: music & art; Tuesday: history and foreign language; Wednesday: literature, creative writing & drama; Thursday: STEM). Sometimes this will be split into an older and younger cohort, and sometimes all of the children will work together, depending on the content being discussed and the skills needed for the project.
1:45/2:00-2:45/3:00 45-75mins Unstructured outdoor time. Supervised but unstructured time with peers, to enjoy the great outdoors on the farm, rain or shine. Toward the end, a garden-based snack will be served.
2:45/3:00-4:00 Children will be invited to engage in enrichment activities for 60-75 minutes, according to the subject theme for the day (Monday: music & art; Tuesday: history and foreign language; Wednesday: literature, creative writing & drama; Thursday: STEM). Sometimes this will be split into an older and younger cohort, and sometimes all of the children will work together, depending on the content being discussed and the skills needed for the project.
Program ends at 4:00.