| Choosing the best kindergarten for your child can be a
daunting task. Public school? Private school? Each comes with its own advantages and
disadvantages. Clearly, the goal is to determine which environment will best meet the
needs of your child. Ultimately, you can make
the best decision if you identify your
child’s unique personality and preferred
learning style, identify the philosophies of
the schools, and make a match between the two.At Child’s Day, the experiences and environment are
tailored to meet the each student’s unique needs and stimulate learning in all developmental areas. The exceptionally small
class size (only 12-13 students) allows for personalized
instruction in a way that is impossible in a classroom of 22+ students (customary public
school class size). In practice, this means each child has an opportunity to read with the
teacher every day. Students receive timely feedback on their work, and spend minimal time
waiting for the teacher’s assistance if they experience difficulty. Individuals with
exceptional capabilities have the opportunity to progress
at an advanced pace, receiving support and encouragement at each
step.
The smaller class size also allows the teacher to implement a developmentally appropriate curriculum for the students. With larger groups, classroom management is often achieved by requiring students to engage in pencil and paper "seat-work" -- filling out worksheets that require few higher-order thinking skills to complete. At Child’s Day, students spend the majority of their day actively engaged with manipulative materials, allowing them to construct their knowledge from experiences that are meaningful to them. The teacher guides the children’s inquiry in a way that requires each child to stretch him / herself, but children experience a classroom in which they are more autonomous -- able to make more decisions for themselves and have more opportunities to work individually or in small groups. The daily schedule at Child’s Day permits students to make fewer transitions from one place to another, allowing more "time on task" for learning. Lunch takes place in the classroom with the teacher. Instruction in "special" areas (music, art, computer) also takes place in the classroom. While this may appear to have minimal benefit, consider that a minimum of 45 minutes a day is wasted in most kindergarten classrooms where students are compelled to line up and move from room to room for different activities. That’s about 15% of the daily classroom learning time! Another Child’s Day advantage is the daily opportunity parents have for informal exchanges with the teacher when they bring their child to school. The schedule is arranged so drop off is an ideal time for parents and teacher to share important bits of information about the children, promoting a smooth home-to-school transition.
Kindergarten at Child’s Day is a special experience. It exceeds the standards of the finest public and private Kindergarten programs in our area, and it addresses the Kindergarten Accreditation criteria established by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs. Many families need longer hours of care than the typical kindergarten day and enjoy the convenience of the Before School, After School, and Late Pick-up options, comfortable in the knowledge their child is in a safe, enjoyable environment with qualified staff and low child/staff ratio. Additionally, the school year calendar has far fewer "closed" days than the public schools, and most private schools too! To hear what parents of former Child's Day Kindergartner's have to say about the program, click below:
Click here to see Testimonials
Click here for panoramic room
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