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As an educator myself, finding the ideal full-day program for my daughter for preschool was a daunting task. Luckily, I found CKLC. This program is amazing! I was immediately impressed with just the ‘look’ of the place. Shelly has done an amazing job transforming an everyday space into an extraordinary learning environment. It is set up for different learning areas, including a cool loft area and a beautiful reading nook (complete with tons of great books). There is an area for dramatic play, which is so important for young children developing social skills and using their imagination. The circle area is set up for learning with great visual displays that encourage learning. The curriculum is thematically based, which really gets the children excited about learning. When they are working on a theme, you will see that theme in all areas of the school – including the sensory table!
My daughter loves to go to school every day and is excited about the different projects and activities. Shelly puts out a newsletter that includes photos of learning opportunities. This is a great tool for initiating conversation with my daughter about all of the activities she participates in.
My daughter has learned letter sounds, as well as an amazing vocabulary and concepts she has learned from the curriculum. These pre-literacy skills are the foundation of reading and writing. My four year old is actually blending sounds into words! Most importantly, CKLC has instilled an early love of learning in my daughter that she will carry with her into elementary school. I really can’t say enough about CKLC! I am looking forward to another great year of learning and social opportunities!
Caryn D.
I’m one of those moms who does her research, and after my visit to CKLC I cannot overstate how clear it was to me that it was leagues ahead of so many of the well-reputed programs I visited. Some of the qualities I think stand out are:
- Low student-teacher ratio combined with high-energy, warm and attentive teachers: Small schools can boast a low ratio, but what makes the biggest difference is the teaching staff and philosophy. These teachers are not just supervising but are very experienced and are actively engaged with the kids.
- A broad mix of activities: There is a mix of free play and more structured/teacher-led play and learning. The teachers really encourage observation, curiosity, different interests, and figuring out the answers (rather than being told the answer). I continue to be impressed by the breadth of activities and topics my daughter is exposed to.
- Multi-age program: Children learn from one another and the age diversity brings another level of enrichment in social and academic skills.
- Sense of community and connectedness: The teachers communicate frequently with families about their child and school activities formally (bi-monthly newsletters, parent conferences) and informally (always available to talk or email). Also, the school puts on the sweetest events twice a year where the families all come together.
One final note – CKLC is located in a private residence. I will be honest that before I visited the school I had some doubts for this reason. However, the school is larger than most classrooms I visited and is separate from the residence. It leaves no question that it is a school. It has a separate entry with cubbies for each child, craft areas, kitchen area, a library area, writing area, a clubhouse, its own restroom, a pretend play room, a small stage, and the main circle-time and floor play area. There are many windows (natural light) and it is well stocked with toys, books and activities.
Mel L.
My son has attended CKLC for almost three years. We love this place!
Three years back, I was looking for a school for my son. CKLC is pretty close to my home, I passed it all the time, but never paid attention to it until a very experienced teacher recommended it to us.
After visiting CKLC, I found out that it is a very nice place for kids: the teachers are very nice and patient, teacher/student ratio is very low, and a lot of attention is paid to the kids. The environment is very cozy and stable.
During my son’s three years at CKLC, he has learned so much academically and socially. The teachers communicate with parents very frequently, which you normally do not get from other places.
Shuping L.
My daughter has attended CKLC for the past two years and she will be attending one more year. What makes CKLC an outstanding learning place for kids:
Enthusiasm: All the teachers are very enthusiastic about their teaching. They make learning more enthusiastic for kids through fun activities and exploration. The ratio of teacher to kids is very balanced, therefore each kid feels important and valuable in the school and gets very good attention.
Well Informed: Parents are well informed about kids progress through communication like newsletters, emails and parent-teacher conferences.
We are very happy to have such a great school in our neighborhood.
Sushil N.
We are very happy with this Learning Center with our oldest child. We are planning on enrolling our youngest child as well, and are confident she will get the same excellent experience. Our son comes home excited about the activities they do, the things they focus on each week, and he has fun at Country Kids. They are even working on speaking in front of the group with show and tell and with subject based topics (e.g. animals). The Holiday Program was great. They have organized field trips, and the kids are always supervised.
L.B.
CKLC provides a nurturing environment to young children with scheduled and unscheduled activities for the after school children. The teachers get to know each child individually and encourage the child to do their best both academically, with scheduled time for homework and socially, providing a safe and fun place to play with consistent supervision.
Shelby B.
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