PRESCHOOL

At Millard Children's Academy, we believe that children deserve high expectations. When you believe in a child, they will succeed. The preschool program at Millard Children's Academy is based on the philosophy that children need to be exposed to a variety of experiences in order to arouse their curiosity, stimulate their imagination, challenge their physical abilities, enhance their cognitive development, and encourage self-expression. Millard Children's Academy offers children diverse educational experiences, through its distinct learning stations, that emphasize the development of Kindergarten-readiness skills.

Millard Children's Academy's preschool program is designed to develop each child's positive self-concept and help them grow and learn at their own pace. We offer educational experiences that seek to challenge children both mentally and physically. Our learning activities are designed to promote children's language skills, creative thinking, problem solving, number concepts, muscle coordination, scientific awareness, responsibility for caring for oneself, and respect for other children and adults alike. The preschool curriculum is designed to give children, at each stage of development, a beginning for success in school and a lifelong love for learning.

Our year-round preschool program is for children aged three through five, with the activities tailored to be developmentally appropriate for each respective age group. Our younger classes may have up to ten children in them, while our older Preschool groups will have up to twelve. We offer a theme-based curriculum established on a weekly schedule. The children more easily grasp the concepts taught because of the consistent theme running throughout the variety of classes offered all week.

The children start their morning activities with the Pledge of Allegiance and MCA school song, after which they'll have their morning snack. This routine reminds them that it's time for classes. Each age group will attend a different set, or rotation, of classes each day. Throughout the week your child will attend:

Language Arts: Here your child will learn letter recognition, beginning sounds, how to write letters properly, how to write their name, and sight words.

Science: Your child will have fun participating in simple experiments and food projects that tie in with the theme of the week. They will also learn about the weather and personal hygiene.

Math: Our math class is designed to help children recognize and write numbers, understand number placement, count tangible items, review shapes, and recognize patterns. Our older Preschoolers begin doing simple addition and subtraction.

Gym: Children will get in the habit of engaging in physical activity in our large indoor gym, learn cooperation through relays and group games, and get their wiggles out after sitting in a classroom. Weather permitting, the children will play outside on our large playground.

Spanish: The children learn Spanish basics such as letters, numbers, and colors, as well as lessons that tie in with the theme of the week.

iPad Lab: Children learn math, reading, writing, problem-solving, and other important skills through the many fun, educational, and age-appropriate games and apps that they play. The children do NOT have access to the internet.

Art: Our art teachers encourage creativity while using a variety of materials, such as paints, construction paper, ribbons, yarn, buttons, glue, and crayons to help the children create masterpieces that go along with the theme of the week.

Reading Pit: The teacher will read a story that pertains to the weekly theme, after which, the children will choose books to look at and/or read, as they develop their emerging reading skills.

Comprehensive Table: This class reviews the basics, focuses on fine motor skills, scissor skills, patterns, and puzzles.

The structured Preschool time ends at 11:30 AM when our eager learners go to lunch. After lunch our Preschool-Only children typically depart for the day. The remaining all-day Preschoolers will either: have nap time—based solely on their parents' wishes, have a short quiet time, or those 4 and older may go on one of our optional field trips per their parents' wishes. The remainder of their day consists of what we call structured free-play. They continue to do projects, play on the iPads, have fun with their friends, use the gym or go outside, and rotate from room to room to keep their imagination and education stimulated.

Our scheduled class time may be over; however, the learning does not stop there. Throughout their daily interactions with one another and their teachers, the children are constantly learning social skills, manners, self-esteem, and respect for themselves, one another, and the adults in their lives. Some of the children are still potty training and we are there to help them master this developmental milestone. It's easy to forget how fresh the world is to small children and how every new experience enriches their lives.

Whether you plan to send your child only for Preschool or plan to leave them in our care all day, there are no activity fees, supply fees, maintenance fees, or contracts to sign. Our flexible Preschool Tuition structure is based on a 3-day minimum charge each week. You are only charged for the 4th and 5th days if your child actually attends 4 or 5 days during any given week. You are never tied to a fixed schedule of attendance; your Preschooler may attend ANY day of the week, on any given week, that fits YOUR schedule.

We invite you to come and see for yourself our bright learning environment, which is illuminated even more by the children who are mentored within. Please call or email us to obtain current rates and availability information, or to schedule your tour today! Contact information can be found on our CONTACT US page.