Back to school season is fast approaching, which means now is the time to start considering your child care options. As you begin the process, you may want to consider not only what the curriculum offers, but also how the classroom learning complements what your child is learning at home.
Kiddie Academy’s® Life Essentials® curriculum focuses on producing six outcomes: Character, Confidence, Curiosity, Connection, Critical Thinking, and Creative Expression. Each is intended to support your child through stages of cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development, creating a foundation for successful, long-term growth.
While the curriculum pays special attention to providing children with a high-quality early childhood education, it is also thoughtfully designed to have the ability to transition beyond the Kiddie Academy walls and into everyday life.
A survey of more than 2,000 U.S. parents uncovered that 81% of parents think educators should spend time teaching things outside academics, and 62% prioritize learning things like communication, problem-solving, and work ethic – otherwise known as “soft skills” – under the age of eight. This was reassuring to us, as it confirmed what we’ve known for years: that early childhood education should focus on the whole child.
Kiddie Academy takes every opportunity to teach children foundational cornerstones that have a positive impact on their social-emotional development. This includes things like education lessons and activities that offer a solid foundation for good citizenship, allow children to recognize their strengths and opportunities, spark a desire to become life-long learners, foster strong social skills, apply higher-level thinking, and develop their imagination. All that said, it’s equally important to nurture these things at home, which is why we prioritize laying the groundwork for parents and guiding them to be able to do just that.
For example, during July, we focus on cultivating a sense of pride within children – giving them the opportunity to learn about patriotism, sportsmanship, and pride through things like role playing, discussions, and enrichment activities. To connect the learning from school to home, we offer what we call Family Home Extensions. These are simple yet meaningful activities such as having family discussions, family outings, or projects that can be done at home to ensure the learning never stops.
The result is incredibly rewarding. Just ask our Kiddie Academy parents…
“Our kids are always coming home with new vocabulary – and not just in English. They are learning Spanish words, numbers, and the alphabet. We’ll be talking with our kids at home, and they’ll say words we’ve never heard them say before. We know it’s Kiddie Academy teaching them these new things and introducing them to more than we’d have time to teach them ourselves.”
“Our son has taken an interest in astronomy and Kiddie Academy has really supported that, encouraging him to learn more about astronomy both in school and at home.”
“It’s hard as a working parent to not have guilt about not being with your kids all the time. But there are fun moments in that, as well. Suddenly, my son will be doing something at home that we haven’t even thought to teach him yet. It’s pretty awesome to see the skills being taught while he’s at Kiddie Academy make their way from the classroom to inside our home.”
Kiddie Academy’s Life Essentials curriculum and the six outcomes it focuses on creates a continuous learning cycle for children that enables children to grow into knowledgeable, well-rounded, resilient, and compassionate individuals. As you consider the best child care option for your family, we encourage you to consider how the curriculum being offered in the classroom will have an impact on your child’s future.
