Early Childhood Assistant

David Proesel is honored to serve as the Naphouse Assistant in Miss Vicki's Wonder Garden and as an Aftercare Assistant this year.

Bringing a wealth of knowledge from six years of experience, David has a strong background in early childhood education, most notably having worked in Montessori settings across Europe. He is enthusiastic about transferring his skills and embarking on his new path with Waldorf education at Prairie Hill. David looks forward to sharing his personal interests in crafting, the outdoors, and the performing arts with the students throughout the school day and during aftercare.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination circles the world”
– Albert Einstein

In early childhood, young children are nurtured in a home-like environment. Their days include time in nature, artistic activities, creative play with natural toys, stories, songs, and practical activities such as building, sewing and cooking. The curriculum fosters the curiosity and joy of childhood and builds the self confidence and pre-academic skills that become the foundation for formal learning in the grades.

All elements of the kindergarten are guided by trained teachers who deeply understand how your child learns – engaging him or her intellectually, emotionally and physically. The curriculum is supported by a strong oral tradition that provides rich language experiences that are successful in cultivating good speech and expression. This approach exposes your child to significantly larger vocabularies than those found in early-reader programs, allowing her or him to expand their literacy skills through dramatization, poetry, puppet plays, songs, storytelling and drawings – creating a foundation in reading and writing.