NOVI, MICH., Aug. 5, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the back-to-school season approaches, Learning Care Group is empowering parents with educational options to ensure their child makes a seamless transition into kindergarten.
At Learning Care Group's Childtime, Children's Courtyard, La Petite Academy and Tutor Time schools, the School Readiness Pathway provides a clear roadmap for learning and development, beginning in infancy. With the Pathway, families at the critical Pre-K and kindergarten juncture can choose from a suite of exclusive enhanced programs that develop language, literacy, math, and social-emotional readiness skills.
Families are invited for an Open House at their local Childtime, Children's Courtyard, La Petite Academy and Tutor Time schools on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014 at 5-7 p.m. The nationwide event will showcase each stage of the School Readiness Pathway. For more information, please visit: www.childtime.com , www.childrenscourtyard.com , www.lapetite.com and www.tutortime.com
Peace of Mind at the Pre-K and Kindergarten Crossroads
As kindergarten approaches, many parents are concerned about the best way to get their child ready.
Some worry that their soon-to-be 5-year-old will miss the state's kindergarten age cut-off and will need to repeat pre-K. Others consider delaying their child's entrance into kindergarten to allow extra time for social development. Meanwhile, some families look for enrichment opportunities for a jump start on kindergarten. The School Readiness Pathway provides effective solutions for each of these situations, helping ensure a child's academic and emotional preparedness for kindergarten without having to repeat learning experiences.
"Parents are looking for an early childhood environment that will pave the way for their child's academic success from kindergarten into adulthood," said Dr. Susan Canizares, Chief Academic Officer, Learning Care Group. "Our School Readiness Pathway is supported by a solid research base that aligns children's developmental indicators to school-readiness outcomes. This means that every step of the way, parents can be confident that their child's learning goals will be met."
Mapping Each Child's Early Learning Journey
Learning Care Group's philosophy begins with the understanding that early education is not a one-size-fits-all experience. Each of its school brands offers a unique environment and a proprietary curriculum designed to develop the whole child cognitively, physically, socially and emotionally. Lessons are brought to life differently at Childtime, Children's Courtyard, La Petite Academy and Tutor Time schools. Working alongside the distinctive curriculum for each of these brands is the School Readiness Pathway, driving toward a common goal of academic preparedness.
"We give parents the ability to choose the early education experience that's right for their child," noted Canizares. "The Childtime approach is distinctly different from Tutor Time, for example – from how lessons are taught, down to the look and feel of the school. While each offers a unique learning environment, the outcome represents the same goal: school readiness."
The School Readiness Pathway provides a cohesive framework to address children's needs according to their age and individual pace of development, focusing on key academic and social development milestones. At every step along the way, children enjoy age- and stage-appropriate activities as teachers continually assess each child's progress in meeting objectives. Lessons are shaped accordingly, tailored for each individual child. While the Pathway encompasses lessons beginning in infancy, parents can be confident that enrolling their child at any stage along the way will help lead to school readiness.
The Pathway begins with learning experiences for Infants, and naturally progresses to the Toddlers & Twos stages. Programs designed for these littlest learners ensure they develop skills in sequence at their own pace. Next, teachers in Preschool and Pre-K work with a responsive curriculum to advance each child along the developmental path, making learning both fun and engaging.
For 4- and 5-year-olds, parents can choose from specific options according to their child's needs:
• Pre-K is designed to help children make significant developmental gains, communicate more successfully, and work well both independently and in group situations. It builds on Preschool learning by focusing on problem-solving, responsive listening and language usage, as well as social and collaborative skills.
• Kindergarten Prep introduces children to kindergarten-level concepts, providing extra reading and math along with handwriting.
• Children who have already completed pre-K can attend Junior Kindergarten, which focuses on developing critical learning skills: sustaining attention, following multi-step instructions, controlling impulses, communicating effectively and learning multiple ways to solve problems using different perspectives.
• Private Kindergarten also is available at select schools as a whole-day program for children who meet their state's kindergarten age requirement. It features smaller class size and more individual attention, offering an alternative to public kindergarten. Students are prepared to enter first grade the following year.
About Learning Care Group, Inc.
Headquartered in Novi, Mich., Learning Care Group provides early education and child care services to children ages 6 weeks to 12 years within its portfolio of brands: The Children's Courtyard, Childtime Learning Centers, La Petite Academy, Montessori Unlimited and Tutor Time Child Care/Learning Centers. Learning Care Group operates more than 900 schools (corporate and franchise) across 36 states, the District of Columbia and internationally, and has a system-wide capacity to serve more than 100,000 children. Learning Care Group and its subsidiaries are equal opportunity employers and providers. For more information, please visit www.learningcaregroup.com
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