Programs
Smart Start to College
is closing the Achievement Gap, one child at a time
A Certifying Organization for the Presidential Service Award
Ron Ferguson, director of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University, Has made a career studying the academic achievement gap that exists between children.
Since 2004, we have been closing the Academic Achievement Gap, one child at a time through our Academic Acceleration Program.
Program participants perform 6 months to 3 years above expected standards!
Contrary to the truth, academic acceleration is not about pushing the child, rather it’s about offering them the opportunities they are ready for; meeting their interests and needs; it’s about letting them soar; and recognizing their individual differences.
All children have remarkable potential, however, without the opportunities to fully maximize their capabilities they may fall short of actualizing their abilities to high levels.
Acquiring early academic skills/tools and other potential factors proves to be the most significant predictors of future academic achievement.* As well, the variation in skills children bring to the classroom require individualized and differentiated instruction to be successful. Not recognizing this could result in a child’s poor academic performance.
Our program employs:
- A comprehensive approach to unpacking core concepts* by supporting multi-level strategies that boost conceptual thinking and understanding.
- Provide opportunities focused on building and supporting mastery motivation.*
*A core concept “big idea” is built up from a set of smaller component ideas. Thus, unpacking these big ideas supports a student’s learning and a higher level of understanding which can become life-long transferable learning skills.
- Supports the development of automaticity with basic subskills.
- Incorporates the principles of supporting children being an active participant over the direction of their learning* while providing explicit, multi-sensory, engaging, systematic, and developmentally appropriate instruction specific to the individual child’s learning style and interests.
*In early childhood, persistence at mastering challenging tasks is known as mastery motivation, and plays a key role in promoting learning and mathematics achievement (Turner & Johnson, 2003), particularly for young children at risk (Berhenke, et al., 2011)
Fantuzzo J, Perry MA, MdDermott P. Preschool approaches to Learning and their relationship to other relevant classroom competencies for low-income children. School Psychology Quarterly. 2004;19:212-230
►Weekly Program offered for children 18 months and above. Full/Part Time available.
►Use of various tools for building creativity through messy and sensory play and across the creative arts.
►Peer to peer interactive play
►Supports development of executive functioning skills
►Supports critical domains of early childhood development while providing opportunities for developing and exploring their own initiative, curiosity, and creativity
►Introduction to math and literacy concepts
►A multifaceted process that incorporates appropriate materials, experiences, all of which encourage numeric and math development
►Supports conceptual understanding and functional grasp of mathematical ideas including but not limited to sorting and patterns, measurement, geometry (yes! geometry), spatial reasoning, adding and subtracting all while having fun!
►Activities and processes focused on phonics, phonemic awareness and fluidity
►Vocabulary building, comprehension
►Beginning and ending sounds isolation
►Primer to developing the building blocks towards decoding words
►Advanced coaching focused on the introduction or reinforcement of imperative foundational concepts in literacy while building fluency and comprehension
►Skill building activities focused on supporting mastery motivation standards
►Worldly progressive strategies (e.g. Singapore, Vedic Math and Shanghai mathematics) to promote and support concept development, reasoning, mastery motivation and problem solving
►A mastery based learning process focused on developing students’ automaticity with basic subskills that make up larger, more complicated tasks by addressing challenges related to specific topic/subject focused on facilitating acquisition and conceptual understanding
►Want to Learn how to teach a child to read phonetically
►While there are some benefits to sight words, it limits a child to memorization.
►Using a phonics-based approach, you will learn patterns from which to build on. This is not only helpful to beginning readers, but you'll be able to support elementary aged students as well!
►An Eight Week Full Day Program with an extensive range of engaging activities and practical enrichment opportunities that foster valuable learning and skills development in an exciting and inclusive environment
►Campers' days are filled with trips focused on fun-filled discoveries, at-location progressive projects, with possible opportunities to shadow and learn about different professions
Contact Us About Our Sessions for Day Cares Programs & Homeschoolers
