Teachers

Our PreK-3 teachers will provide your child with a high quality early childhood education with developmentally appropriate activities, educationally enriched environments and responsive teacher-child interactions. Our teachers are committed to making a difference in your child’s life; dedicating more time to focus on your child’s individual needs and developmental growth compared to childcare centers in the local area. Teachers at Ivy League will reinforce your child’s knowledge and skill development throughout the day using systematic, explicit, and purposeful activities as well as specific language. Combining both purposeful-engaging curriculum activities and instructional materials allow teachers to be successful tailoring learning experiences for your child.

Curriculum

Our PreK-3 program is based on the Creative Curriculum, complemented by our emphasis on literacy with the use of the “ELLM PLUS” Curricula. The combination of the curriculum, Ivy League Academy team best practices, The Sunshine State Standards, The Voluntary Pre-kindergarten Standards, Florida School Readiness Performance Standards and Head Start Performance Standards are what make our program so unique and desirable.

The Creative Curriculum is a research-based curriculum that offers a comprehensive collection of resources to build high-quality classroom environments and age appropriate activities. This curriculum addresses the following areas of development: social–emotional, physical, cognitive, language, emergent literacy, English language acquisition (English- and dual-language learners and effective teaching strategies for teachers) mathematics, science and technology, social studies and arts.

The Early Literacy and Learning Model/Plus “ELLM PLUS” is a literacy-focused curriculum designed to expand children’s vocabularies and refine their understanding and comprehension of words they know and use. In our PreK-3 program, teachers engage children in daily whole-group and intentional small-group lessons from ELLM/Plus as well as learn by playing in learning centers based on the Creative Curriculum.

During whole-group instruction, concepts are presented or reinforced to ensure and/or extend learning for all children. Shared experiences, like read-aloud and music and movement, also occur during whole-group time to create a community of learners. Whole-group instructional concepts are extended through guided practice at the small-group teaching table.

During small-group instruction teachers are able to monitor your child’s progress and address your child’s needs as they converse about and interact with words and concepts.

Environment

After whole and small group activities, your child will practice using concepts and information independently as he/she works and plays with his/her classmates together in learning centers:

• Literacy Center: reading and telling stories, word wall (language and literacy development)
• Writing Center: hand muscles development (fine motor skills), emergent writing and printing (language and literacy development)
• Math / Manipulative / Science Center: logical thinking, patterns and numbers (early math concepts); puzzles, stringing beads, matching and sorting games (fine motor skills); Earth, life / physical science and hands-on eco-friendly activities and projects in our community garden (exploration / discovery).
• Block Center: visualizing and building.
• Art Center: drawing and designing with recycled materials; signing and creating music (creative arts and expression)
• Music Center: rhythm, incorporate expression through body movement (gross motor skills)
• Social Studies Center: dramatic play, leadership, multicultural sensitivity (character development)

In our learning centers, teachers consistently remind students about the importance of friendships, generosity, honesty; saving energy and the importance of recycling in order to build a strong foundation for becoming compassionate and environmentally-conscious adults in their future.

Outdoor activities include fitness activities and games. Extra curricula activities like: Little chefs around the world, “Pequeños Amigos” (Spanish), little dancers, little soccer shots, t-ball players, little fingers on computers, local community helpers, local book authors, local libraries, museums, and simple theatrical productions supplement our already enhanced classroom learning.

Assessments

Formal assessments will be completed by our expert Lead Teachers at the end of each school year. Informal assessments will be completed quarterly by our expert Lead Teachers. The results will be shared with you in regards to your child at the completion of each assessment. The learning outcomes identified for each class level provide a learning path that helps teachers make their instruction purposeful and intentional.

We invite you to talk with our Director and schedule a tour and see the difference for yourself!