Goddard School in Darien uses learning-through-fun approach to teach curriculum

DARIEN — When Kathy Silver picked up her son from the new Goddard School in Darien, he said "Hola" and then signed the word, "Mom." He's 2.

“The other morning he said, ‘Mommy, where are we going?’ and I said, ‘You’re going to school,’ and he asked, ‘Ms. Nora’s class?’” Silver said. “I said ‘Yes,’ and he said, ‘Yay!’”

The Goddard School is a year-round preschool that serves children from 6 weeks to 6 years old. What sets Goddard apart from other schools is what it refers to as using a FLEX program, or a fun learning experience. The philosophy is to have a child-focused lesson plan and curriculum that creates excitement and curiosity for learning.

The newest local franchise owner, Michael Petrucelli of Oak Brook, spent 20 years working in financial services. Until about three years ago, he was working on Wall Street. But it just wasn’t for him.

“My wife and I really wanted to start our own business — ideally something that involved kids, education and something that could give back to the community,” said Petrucelli, who opened the Darien school Jan. 2.

The 49-year-old also is father to three elementary-aged kids. He said it was because of them and his past work as a soccer and baseball coach that he wanted to start a business in which he could help all children.

Goddard itself is child-centric because the teachers, along with their education director, create a lesson plan customized for the children in the classroom.

“It’s the teachers that spend all the time with the kids,” Petrucelli said. “They’re the ones who understand their interests and their needs. For example, if you have a classroom full of boys that really love dinosaurs, we can use dinosaurs as a learning tool.”

Tony Padulo, vice president of franchise development for Goddard School, said the learning-through-play philosophy has been in place for the last 25 years. The Darien school, one of its newest of nearly 400 locations, has a current enrollment of about 40 children served by nine teachers.

“Everything that we do in our schools is based around learning and it’s done in a fun environment,” Padulo said.

To help become better learners for the future, children are introduced at an early age to learning how to use computers, speaking foreign languages, learning sign language and even doing yoga. Petrucelli’s voice grew with excitement as he talked about the natural curiosity to learn at this early age.

“If you can make learning fun and make someone a naturally curious person, then your chances for success and a happy life really just grow tremendously,” he said. “It’s all about giving children the confidence to be positive, the confidence to want to learn and to really celebrate their learning.”

The curriculum at Goddard is similar to that at an elementary or middle school in that there are set objectives each day, but it’s driven by the teacher and children. The fun doesn’t just come from the stories and sing-alongs the kids participate in every day, but also from what they want to learn.

Mala Gandhi of Woodridge has a 15-month-old daughter who just started at Goddard. Gandhi said she chose the school because of its reputation and wanting her daughter to socialize with those her age.

“We do anticipate to see a lot of growth and we are actually seeing a lot of changes just from her socialization with other children,” Gandhi said.

And introducing children to new ideas is structured to foster a love of learning down the road.

“Everything we do, we try and deliver in the best possible fashion,” Petrucelli said. “Kids are going to learn and they’re going to have fun. It’s going to be a loving, safe and secure environment and kids are going to be ready for school when they leave the Goddard School.”