As you probably know, Kindergarten is very academic these days. I mean REALLY academic. Long gone are the days of social play half days that include little cartons of milk and a mat to take a nap on. When kiddos hit kinder these days they need to hit the ground running. For kiddos who haven't been exposed to the daycare/preschool setting, this can come as quite a shock! They are expected to leave home, possibly for the first time, and identify all 26 letters (out of sequence) and their sounds. They should know how to count to 30 and be able to identify and write these numbers. And this is just the beginning. There are so many things, both social and academic, that are expected of these little 5 year olds. (I mean weren't they just born???) This is where my program comes in. My goal is to prepare your youngster so that when they walk into their Kindergarten classroom that very first day that they will be able to say "I've got this!"And you, in turn, will be able to breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they really do!
Another goal of my program is to fill the "I only want Pre-K" gap. It seems to me that when I was looking for a part-time, 2-3 half days a week, affordable program, the pickings were slim. So many "preschools" are really full time daycare facilities that will let your kiddo come "part-time." But that really wasn't what I was looking for. I didn't want a daycare setting or "feel." (Not to mention the cost!) I wanted a small class of young learners that were there for some social and academic training, just like my child.
Let's face it, our kiddos are very much individuals. Each one of us is so "wonderfully made." Isn't it amazing? God can take two parents and make a completely new and unique individual. If you have more than one child, it's SO apparent that no two of your children are alike. Take my three boys for example. They all have the same biological mother and father, but boy are they different! And that's so awesome! As an educator, I want to know your child. What are their likes and dislikes? What motivates them? What really frustrates them? Do they enjoy learning with their hands? Is it music that inspires them? Maybe numbers just make sense to them. Maybe they don't make sense at all. Whatever it is, my goal is to identify the way your child learns best and introduce the basic Kindergarten concepts in a manner that make learning enjoyable for your student.
Since I teach out of my home, I have a little more flexibility than a traditional school setting as far as curriculum and time spent on various concepts. If we are loving our pumpkin unit (who doesn't love pumpkins?) lets do some more! If pumpkins are getting too orange and too boring, lets put them in the box until next year! My goal is to evaluate each student and meet them where they are at. Keeping my class sizes small (no more than 10 kiddos) will allow me to do this much more effectively. I will be using a curriculum that I have designed from my experience teaching Kindergarten. I will also be referring to the Arizona Early Learning and Kindergarten Standards as guides for my instruction design. Although I do not have a specific Bible curriculum, I will be using a Biblical world view when explaining things like creation, Christmas, Easter, and other topics as they arise.
I can't wait to meet both you and your child! I am eager to partner with you as the parent and help your son or daughter step into Kindergarten successfully! Contact me at kccarroll@cox.net or 480-213-8352 for more information about how we can get your mini ready for their next big adventure: Kindergarten! Let's get started!
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