Varied preschool schedule offered

NEWTON — Varied attendance schedules based on the needs of individual families are offered to preschool students at the Little Sprouts Early Learning Center, a childcare and preschool facility nestled on the Project Self-Sufficiency campus in Newton.

Parents are invited to craft a schedule that suits the needs of their child, from half-day or full-day attendance, over a two-day, three-day or full-week program.

The facility is located at 127 Mill St. in Newton.

“We offer a save, loving and clean environment to all of our families and children,” said teacher Jackie Clark. “Our program focuses on helping children to become emotionally and socially comfortable as we build on their academic skills. The various themes, projects, activities throughout each week, coupled with the Creative Curriculum allows us to offer a flexible schedule to our families. We try to teach the children to be independent, but also to work together, and be a part of a community.”

The Little Sprouts Early Learning Center, which has been named after B. Douglas Gordon and Elizabeth Houskeeper Gordon, uses “Creative Curriculum” in all of its programs. “Creative Curriculum helps instructors to design a preschool program that teaches children important academic skills and helps them to develop socially,” said Claire Willetts, Program Coordinator at Project Self-Sufficiency. “The classrooms are set up to give structure to each child’s day, and to provide appropriate experiences for children, in accordance with their level of development. The curriculum also involves families in the program, and guides learning in literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts, and technology while supporting children’s social and emotional development.”

In addition to the structured curriculum, visitors from the community often stop by to engage children in literacy activities such as the Celebrity Readers program. Community volunteers from the New Jersey Master Gardeners program offer frequent educational presentations, hands-on learning activities and advice about nutrition to the children.

The Little Sprouts Early Learning Center features separate classrooms for each age group, from infants through those entering pre-school. Fully-qualified teachers are available in each classroom and the child-teacher ratio adheres to or exceeds state standards.

In addition to the classrooms, there is an all-purpose room for active indoor play and parent presentations, as well as a sick room for those children who may fall ill during the day.

The center is equipped with two separate playgrounds, one for younger and one for older children. Each room has new equipment, as well as learning centers for dramatic play, computers, science, housekeeping, sand and water play, reading, and music.

Little Sprouts offers space for 83 students, ages six weeks to six years. The facility accepts all types of subsidized daycare assistance, and slots for new students are still available.

For more information visit the center’s website, www.littlesproutsearlylearningcenter.org or call 973-940-3540.