EDUCATION & ENRICHMENT

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Enriching Preschool At Palm Academy

In education circles, preschool is seen as an essential element in the overall academic success of students. There are many studies that back up the efficacy of preschool and pre-K and their long-term contributions to academic and social success.  In fact, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) calls preschool the most important grade.  According to the ASCD, children who attend preschool are less likely to be retained in a grade, less likely to be recipients of welfare later in life and less likely to get become embroiled in the criminal justice system. It is easy to see that preschool benefits society as well as the individual. There are many essential elements to a valuable preschool education that Palm Academy in Fremont is proud to include in our preschool curriculum. In this week’s blog, we will look at just a few of these.

Phonemic Awareness

Of all the factors that indicate future academic success, phonemic awareness is among the few at the top. Phonemic awareness is the basis of literacy, and a child’s level of phonemic awareness is an early sign that literacy will be achieved at an early age.  Phonemic Awareness is the connection that must be made between letters and sounds. When a child understands that different letters are connected with specific sounds, the first hurdle in the race to the top has been cleared. Who knew that C is for cookie played such an important role?

Enrichment Programs: Fastrackids

One of the best things you can give a child is broad horizons. In accordance with Piaget’s theory of constructivism, every time you introduce a new topic or idea to a child they use it to construct their understanding of the world. In classroom-speak, this basic framework is used as a series of hooks upon which children rest future learning. For instance, if you take a child to a tidal pool and let them see the marine animals that live there, they will later be able to learn about those animals within an intellectual context that they would otherwise not be able to.

Palm Academy uses the enrichment program of Fastrackids. It is based on the research of leading educational psychologist and uses modern methodologies. We introduce our preschool students to the whole body, interactive learning activities such as piano, dance, writing, and Kyoko’s Art Classes. When children use all their sense to interact with their lessons, they are integrating the lessons more deeply than if they simply study a topic and learn facts rotely.

Soft Skills for the Future

Palm Academy uses Fastrackids curriculum, the spoken goals of which are as follows:

  • to encouraging lifelong learning
  • to teaching the application and transfer of knowledge
  • to build communication and speaking skills>
  • to develop creative thinking problem-solving skills>
  • to promote leadership and personal growth
  • to prepare children for school and life.>

You may think that these seem very abstract, and wonder if your child needs to learn these things instead of memorizing the alphabet. The answer is that children do indeed need this abstract set of skills. If technology advances at the same speed it has in the last 50 years, the world in which your children will be adults will be unrecognizable to you or me. The skills listed above are known as soft skill, and educational professionals believe that these skills will allow children of today to lead the world in the future.>

Children entering preschool this year will grow up with a technology literacy level unthinkable twenty years ago and so it is likely that by they time they are in highschool even coding language could have been revolutionized and things that we use today will be obsolete. But, soft skills are never obsolete!>

Palm Academy has enrichment programs that meet the needs of this skill set. We offer Kindermusik which teaches children language, social balance, emotional stability, and physical skills, all while the kids are having fun with music! Other enrichment programs include chess, writing workshops, piano lessons, dance classes and more! Ask us about our current programs. We also offer Kyoko’s Art Classes where students learn basics of art while having fun.>

After School Programs Continue the Learning

If your child has attended Palm Academy in the past and wish they could continue to benefit from our great programs, you are in luck. We have an afterschool program that allows children of school age to have a safe and enriching place to go after school. We offer pick up service, homework help and a selection of fun activities so they won’t get bored. They’ll have a chance to socialize with friends, and take part in fun, educational activities designed to increase their abilities in math, language arts, music, and coordination.

If you are interested in our infant and toddler care, preschool and kindergarten, afterschool programs, enrichment programs or summer camp, feel free to contact us and arrange a tour of our day care facility.