Programs

Leapfrog Early Learning Academy is proud to offer the High/Scope curriculum to their students.

Theoretical Basis
The High/Scope curriculum is grounded in the theoretical perspectives of Jean Piaget, who believed that children learn best when they build understanding through direct experiences with people and objects in the world around them. The application of Piaget’s theories to life in classrooms has led to the development of several programs that are collectively called constructivist in their approach. The High/Scope curriculum is the best-known example of this type.

While emphasizing the development of the whole child, High/Scope focuses on strengthening cognitive skills through active, hands-on learning experiences. This cognitively oriented curriculum is founded on the belief that children cannot understand themselves without first being able to place themselves in time and space and to classify and order objects and events.

The High/Scope program is designed to help children develop logico-mathematical and spatiotemporal understandings of the world around them. Logico-mathematical relationships include organizing objects into groups according to common characteristics and ordering items from smallest to largest. These tasks are based on studies of logic and number. Spatiotemporal relationships focus on helping children understand relational concepts such as up/down, over/under, and inside/outside.

The Plan-Do-Review Sequence
To help children develop stronger conceptual understandings, the High/Scope curriculum uses a procedure called the plan-do-review sequence. The teacher encourages children to plan the tasks they want to accomplish during free-choice time, engage in those activities, and then spend time later in the day reflecting on what they learned.

Children typically engage in planning time in small groups of four or five, while working with a teacher. Children identify activities they would like to try during work time, and the teacher helps them refine their thinking to produce a clear, structured plan for the work period ahead. The teacher uses a variety of motivational strategies to assist children in making decisions about their school day. For example, a set of pretend walkie-talkies could be used to help children communicate their plans to others.

Teachers often refer to the “do” time in the High/Scope curriculum as work time; it directly follows the planning period. In this model, teachers organize classroom space into areas where children spend their work time with blocks, art projects, quiet activities, and dramatic play. Teachers provide children with a large block of time (usually 40 to 60 minutes) to carry out their planned activities.

Review time is the last of the three components of the plan-do-review sequence and typically follows the work period. Teachers can conduct this recall time either in small groups or as a whole class. Again, teachers assist the children in reviewing their work experiences in a variety of developmentally appropriate ways. Drawing a picture of the block structure built, discussing who children spent time with, and reviewing the plans made earlier in the day are examples of the techniques used during this period.

To learn more about High/Scope curriculum, please visit: www.highscope.org

Top 4 Reasons to Learn Chinese!

1. Learning another language gives your child another viewpoint. When a child uses a word, this word triggers associations in the brain, brought about by the other languages the child knows. Maybe this is why it seems people who know other languages seem smarter. The numerous mental associations playing in their brain, open new ideas.
2. China currently has the second largest economy in the world. Learning to speak Chinese is a great way to take advantage of this huge economic shift and give your children an advantage in the increasingly competitive post-collegiate world. Even learning a few words will give them confidence to pursue the language at a later age.
3. The world is becoming a global economy. The world is becoming flat so communication, ideas, and goods are traveling faster and faster between countries including the US and China. Learning Chinese gives your child the self confidence to take advantage of this change.
4. Chinese culture is over 5000 years old. By learning the Chinese language, your child will learn another unique culture.

The Chinese Curriculum (preschool & PreK)

Information about Ni Hao, Kai-lan’s curriculum!

Ni Hao, Kai-lan is the next generation of preschool television programming that introduces the psychology of multiculturalism.
If Dora and Diego popularized bilingualism, Kai-lan will weave together being bilingual and bi-cultural. Ni Hao, Kai-lan reinforces the idea that being bi-cultural and bilingual is being American.

The show will familiarize the viewing audience with elements of Chinese and Chinese American cultures to promote multicultural understanding in the next generation and goes beyond featuring “culture” as only ethnic food and festivals. Instead, it celebrates growing up in an inter-generational family, having friends from diverse backgrounds, and “habits of the heart” that are Chinese American.

These values include:
Mind-body connection: Typically, television portrays excitement as the good emotion to feel. In many Chinese-American communities, the good thing to feel is often calmness and contentment. Feeling excited and feeling calm can both be happy feelings, but they differ in how aroused the body is.

Perspective-taking: In many Chinese and other East Asian families, children are encouraged to take the perspective of others to maintain harmony in relationships with other people. Being a good member of the group: Ni Hao, Kai-lan also emphasizes the Chinese and Chinese American value of being a good member of a group.

Social & Emotional Goals: Highlight cause-and-effect thinking about social and emotional issues germane to preschoolers and to support preschooler’s social and emotional development.

Infant Program Philosophy (6 weeks to 15 months)
In order for infants to develop trust, their needs should be responded to quickly, both with sensitivity and with respect for their temperament and home routines. Leapfrog Early Learning Academy believe that infants are competent, in that they communicate their needs and feelings through body language, vocalizations, crying and gestures. It is our job to learn to learn to “read” what they are telling us and be responsive to their communication with us.

High/Scope Curriculum for Infants & Toddlers
“Active learning, trusting relationships, continuity of care”
Like all High/Scope programs, the Infant-Toddler curriculum is based on the principle that children learn best through direct, hands-on experiences with people, objects, events, and ideas. During this active learning process, infants and toddlers are encouraged to discover the world around them by exploring and playing. Learning and development are anchored by long-term, trusting relationships with caregivers.

Our Summer Camp is the most dynamic in South Fulton! We believe that summer is a time for fun and relaxation but students should also keep adding to what they’ve learned during the school year. Some of our traditional activities during the summer are field trips, movies, games, and outdoor play. Examples of our academic activities include reading clubs, remedial study groups, computer based math programs, and essay writing. Your child will also have the opportunity to study concepts covered in the next grade level, giving him/her a head start on the upcoming school year.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OUR SUMMER CAMP BROCHURE!

Pre-School & PreK Philosophy (36 months to 5 years)
The philosophy of the preschool program is to provide children with endless opportunities to explore and investigate the world in which they live. The children’s interests are paired with educational experiences (in all developmental domains) that are relevant, engaging, and meaningful. We believe that children who become active participants in their learning will continue this trait through their educational careers. To assist the children in becoming active learners, we have adopted an emergent (project based) curriculum.

High/Scope Curriculum for Pre-school and PreK
The curriculum is built around teacher and child initiated learning activities in five main curriculum content areas:

1. Approaches to learning
2. Language, literacy & communication
3. Social and emotional development
4. Physical development, health & well-being
5. Arts & sciences

Within these areas are 58 key developmental indicators (otherwise known as “key experiences”) – observable early childhood milestones that guide teachers as they plan learning experiences and interact with children.

Tots/Toddler Philosophy (16 months to 36 months)
The philosophy of the Tots/Toddler Program is to help them feel safe and respected. Along with this, we believe encouraging him or her to develop in all areas (cognitive, social/emotional, language, physical and self-help) according to their individual ability using developmentally age appropriate practice. Forming a relationship with the child and his or her family, is also an important piece of the program. It is important to have parent involvement and to create partnerships with the teachers, so that they can work together on their child’s development.
We take responsibility for potty training your child, which will be achieved prior to entering preschool.

High/Scope Curriculum for Toddlers
“Active learning, trusting relationships, continuity of care”

Like all High/Scope programs, the Toddler curriculum is based on the principle that children learn best through direct, hands-on experiences with people, objects, events, and ideas. During this active learning process, tots and toddlers are encouraged to discover the world around them by exploring and playing. Learning and development are anchored by long-term, trusting relationships with caregivers.

Ages 5 and 6
We help students (ages 5 & 6) identify their learning strengths and weaknesses. We then develop a tutorial program tailored to their learning needs, with a target of improving report card results. As a result, the success achieved academically in Kindergarten & 1st grade will lead to the confidence necessary to move forward to the higher-grade levels, and on to Leapfrog Academy of Excellence (Advanced after school program for ages 7 to 12).

After helping with homework, to keep your child’s motivation high, we will keep each lesson fun and fresh!

Ages 7 to 12 (Leapfrog Academy of Excellence)
For information regarding the after school program at our sister school- Leapfrog Academy of Excellence, for children ages 7 to 12, call 770-306-7333 (from 2:30pm to 6:30pm).