About

The LAEL Methodology

Teaching Methodology: Inquire & Inspire™

Methodology

Child-centered teaching methodology that uses intentional invitations and thoughtful provocations to engage children in deeper thinking, encourage inquiry, and strengthen neural connections during early brain development. It emphasizes multimodal, academic play-based learning across both core and complementary curriculum areas. It was founded in 2015 by two Early Childhood Education Experts who deeply believed in children’s rights to high quality early learning education and learning environments.

Schools Philosophy
We commit to provide purposeful and meaningful rich academic play experiences across all learning domains for all children in our care. We strive to plant seeds of inquiry so that children can discover the world and engage in critical thought while deepening our understanding of Early Childhood pedagogy. We will encourage children to view the world from a pluralistic lens where we can appreciate diverse perspectives, peoples and ways of being. We will provide children opportunities to practice independence, self growth, and demonstrate respect for themselves and others. We aim to inspire children to work collaboratively and to embrace the joy of serving others. With unwavering commitment, we support the Early Childhood Education community through compassion, empathy and professional excellence.

Founder's Philosophy

Nika Jibrael

Nika is an Early Childhood Pedagogista. She has dedicated her life to the academic and practical study of child development and progressive educational practices.

Over the past ten years, she has completed extensive education in Early Childhood Studies, Infant and Toddler and Special Needs Education, Early Childhood Administration, Infant Resource Consulting, Inquiry Based Learning, and Adult Education & Training.

Nika developed the LAEL Early Learning Curriculum on the grounds that children should be provided with the opportunities to learn and develop in ways that enable them to reach their fullest potential and develop the skills and tools to help them succeed in life. The unique LAEL curriculum focuses on building critical thinking, wellness habits and balances academic, social and emotional intelligence.

She also serves as the founder of Educator Connect, The BC Sub Hub and The ECE Wellness Group.

Nush Chand

Nush is an Early Childhood Pedagogista. She has dedicated her life to the practical applications of Early Childhood Learning Centers and strives to create quality programming in the Early Years.

Over the past ten years, she has completed extensive education in Early Childhood Studies, Infant and Toddler Education, Special Needs Education and worked as a private tutor for children ages 3-8 years.

Her professional endeavors include the founding and administration of the first LAEL school, through which she developed extensive expertise in organizational operations and management systems. She remains committed to strategic goal setting, institutional growth, and the effective oversight of daily operations across all schools.

It was a longterm vision and goal for Nush to develop Language Arts Early Learning so that she could continue to serve children and their families with love and passion in the early years of life.

Core Principles

1. Invitations to Explore

Teachers set up intentional learning activities called "invitations." These are carefully curated experiences that spark children’s interest, curiosity, and desire to interact with materials in a hands-on, multimodal way.

Example: A mirror, colored beads, string, and pictures of patterned jewelry set up on a table to inspire exploration of symmetry, fine motor skills, patterning (math), and creativity (art).

2. Provocations to Think Deeper

Once children engage with an invitation, LAEL Teachers use provocations to extend their learning. Provocations are open-ended questions, additional materials, or challenges that encourage children to reflect, hypothesize, inquire, and communicate their thinking.

Example: “What do you think would happen if we added another color?” or “Can you find a way to make the pattern repeat differently?”

3. Responsive Teaching

Educators observe closely and adapt provocations to children’s emerging interests and developmental stages, ensuring learning remains child-led but intentionally scaffolded.

4. Multimodal Learning

Learning experiences incorporate visual, tactile, auditory, kinesthetic, and language-based inputs to support various learning styles and enhance neural development.

Learn more about the importance of Early Years Education.