The Little Red Playschool opened in September of 1984 as a nursery/preschool for two to four year olds. We have been in operation for almost 20 years in the lovely Palisades neighborhood of Washington, D.C. After teaching for two years in an international school in Germany Barbara Elsas - Director/Teacher returned in the Fall of 2004 to reopen her school.

Play is the work of young children ! It is messy, unpredictable, spontaneous, freewheeling and sometimes even a little scary. In other words, PLAY, is a lot like life!

At the Little Red Playschool we place equal emphasis upon the social, physical, emotional and intellectual aspects of a child's pre-school experience and therefore value the development of the whole child.

Play is practice in choosing, doing, and problem solving. When children play, they are thinking, innovating, negotiating and taking risks. They create make-believe events and practice physical, social, and cognitive skills as they engage in these events as if they were real. Teachers support play by providing a variety of things to do, observing what unfolds, and staying nearby to help as needed and to acknowledge children's actions and words.

Parents are always welcome at the Little Red Playschool to visit, observe, participate or share a special skill or talent. We encourage parent participation in all our field trips and pot luck dinners. Communication between staff and parents is informal and parent conferences are on an as needed basis. Parents and staff are a team working towards the goal of a happy, intelligent well- balanced child !

We offer Parent Education Workshops during the Fall and Spring semesters to teach communication skills that build better relationships. The programs are based on the books by author Adele Faber, How to Talk So Kids Will Listen, and Siblings Without Rivalry.

*B.A. Speech Arts, American University, Washington, D.C.

*M.A. Early Childhood Education, New York University, NY, N.Y.

*Over 25 years working with children in public and private schools both here and abroad.

*Eighteen years as Director/Teacher of The Little Red Playschool in Washington, D.C.

*Trained to facilitate diversity and conflict resolution workshops.

*Trained in the international Primary Years Program curriculum.