Early Learning FAQ
“The atmosphere is very homey and loving, and the curriculum is first class.”
By Shannon M,
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Willowdale Children’s Academy is a family-owned, play-based STEAM childcare and preschool that provides a safe and engaging environment for children to learn and have fun.
Willowdale Children’s Academy’s childcare and preschools are located in Avondale, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, and West Chester, PA.
Willowdale Children’s Academy provides care for children aged 6 weeks to school age.
The curriculum is play-based and STEAM-focused, with the aim of supporting the whole child in a safe and engaging environment.
The curriculum includes specialized programs like STEAM and Learning Without Tears.
Yes, the program at Willowdale Children’s Academy is a Keystone Stars-accredited, high-quality early childhood education program.
Willowdale Children’s Academy stands out from other early learning centers and daycares by offering a PA state-mandated teacher-child ratio per class and age group, ensuring greater individual attention, no annual registration fees, and complimentary morning and afternoon snacks.
Yes, Willowdale Children’s Academy offers both before and after-care services for school-aged children from kindergarten to third grade in Avondale, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, and West Chester, PA.
Willowdale Children’s Academy has a team of experienced teachers with educational backgrounds specialized in early childhood education who help children learn and have fun in a safe environment.
The curriculum is specifically designed to help prepare young children for school readiness.
Willowdale Children’s Academy is recognized as a leading early learning center, offering a flexible program that supports the whole child.
Willowdale Children’s Academy welcomes families into a safe and engaging environment where children can learn and have fun.
Willowdale Children’s Academy focuses on helping children learn and have fun while supporting the whole child in a safe and engaging environment.
Yes, the creative curriculum is designed to help prepare toddlers for school readiness by focusing on key skills and developmental milestones.
Willowdale Children’s Academy supports learning through its curriculum, which includes engaging activities like STEAM and Learning Without Tears.
The STEAM curriculum is an educational approach that integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics into the learning process to encourage curiosity and problem-solving.
Willowdale Children’s Academy’s experienced teachers use a play-based curriculum to help children learn while having fun, making the educational experience engaging and enjoyable.
Yes, the academy offers programs for children from 6 weeks to Pre-K, ensuring they are well-prepared for the next step in their education.
With its flexible program and the availability of before and after-care, Willowdale Children’s Academy aims to accommodate the needs of working parents in the area.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Learning Without Tears is a curriculum that provides simple, effective tools to foster early literacy skills, including readiness, handwriting, phonics, and keyboarding, for students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.
Handwriting Without Tears (HWT) is a multisensory curriculum that utilizes engaging and developmentally appropriate techniques to teach writing skills, with a focus on simple language and a distinctive letter formation style.
The Learning Without Tears programs are designed for students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.
It is recommended that daily handwriting instruction lasts for 10-15 minutes.
The curriculum is unique for its multi-sensory approach, use of simple language, and a developmental teaching order for letters.
Yes, the program uses hands-on materials and multisensory activities to help young students develop fine and gross motor skills essential for handwriting.
The Wet-Dry-Try method is a multi-sensory technique that helps students learn letter formations using a small chalkboard, a wet sponge, and a dry cloth.
The curriculum aligns with the science of reading by reinforcing the alphabetic principle, ensuring automatic recall of sounds and symbols to facilitate word recognition.
Yes, the “Get Set for School” curriculum is an early learning program that prepares four-year-olds for kindergarten with pre-writing skills.
The program employs a distinctive and unique letter formation style, beginning with uppercase letters and then transitioning to lowercase using simple terms like “big line” and “little curve.”
Yes, the program acknowledges that children develop at different rates and provides strategies to support each child’s unique journey, enabling teachers to tailor instruction accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Play-based learning is a teaching method that utilizes play to promote a child’s development and learning across multiple areas, including cognitive, social, emotional, and physical skills.
It helps children develop problem-solving skills, creativity, and social skills through collaboration and communication with their peers. It also fosters a love of learning by making education fun and engaging.
Traditional learning often focuses on direct instruction and rote memorization. Play-based learning, in contrast, is more child-directed and hands-on, allowing children to learn through exploration and discovery.
It supports a child’s development by giving them the freedom to explore, experiment, and make mistakes. This process is crucial for building resilience, confidence, and foundational skills needed for success in school and in life.
In a play-based classroom, the teacher acts as a facilitator or guide, setting up a rich learning environment and scaffolding a child’s learning by asking questions and providing new materials or experiences.
Progress is measured through observation and portfolios of a child’s work.
No, while it is a common approach in preschool and early education, research is being done on its application in K-12 education, suggesting that it can be adapted for a wider age range.
The “whole child” approach focuses on the holistic development of a child, which includes their physical, emotional, social, and academic needs. Play-based learning is a key part of this philosophy, as it nurtures all these areas simultaneously.
By fostering skills such as communication, problem-solving, and emotional regulation, play-based learning provides children with the social and cognitive foundation they need to succeed in a formal school setting.
Parents are encouraged to support their child’s learning by engaging in playful activities and conversations at home. This reinforces the skills learned in the classroom and helps create a strong home-school connection.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
STEAM is an acronym that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics.
A STEAM program is a teaching approach that integrates these five subjects to help children explore new concepts through play and hands-on activities. It allows teachers to focus on both the content and the processes of learning.
STEAM education helps young children develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and curiosity from an early age. It exposes them to potential careers and builds their confidence to explore those fields.
Art (the “A” in STEAM) is integrated to promote creativity, design thinking, and innovative problem-solving. It moves beyond a purely analytical approach to foster a more comprehensive understanding of the subject.
Examples of engaging STEAM activities for preschoolers include creating a classroom weather chart, planting seeds, using building blocks to construct structures, and nature scavenger hunts.
These activities employ a pedagogical approach that enables children to learn through play. They are guided to explore concepts, ask questions, and discover solutions through hands-on engagement, which is more effective for early learners than direct instruction.
Preschool STEAM programs encompass a diverse range of science topics, including weather and the atmosphere, environmental science, and geology. These topics are introduced through simple, age-appropriate experiments and activities.
Teachers can engage children by introducing them to activities that allow them to actively participate. For example, a teacher could have children record the weather, measure things in the classroom, or build a tower with blocks.
Inquiry-based learning encourages children to ask questions and seek answers through exploration and investigation. Activities like a nature scavenger hunt or building blocks are great examples of this approach.
No, STEAM activities are designed to be interdisciplinary. A single activity, such as a building block project, can teach engineering principles, spatial awareness (math), and creative design (art) simultaneously.
STEAM programs foster a child’s holistic development. The activities help children develop fine motor skills, problem-solving abilities, and social skills through collaboration.
A STEAM lesson is usually hands-on and project-based. A teacher might start with a question, such as “How can we build a bridge that is strong enough to hold a toy car?” and then guide the children as they experiment with different materials to find a solution.
Yes, many everyday activities can be framed as STEAM learning. Simple activities like cooking (chemistry and math), gardening (science and biology), or building with household objects (engineering) can all be utilized.
STEAM programs provide a strong foundation in critical thinking and problem-solving, essential skills for success in all academic subjects. By making learning fun and engaging, children are more likely to have a positive attitude toward school.
A STEM program focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. A STEAM program adds the element of Art to the curriculum, encouraging creativity and design thinking to be part of the problem-solving process.
Give Your Child the Best Start in Life
Prepare your child for kindergarten and beyond with our S.T.E.A.M. curriculum that empowers young learners to a life of discovery. See the difference our play-based, stress-free approach can make.
Ready to learn more about how S.T.E.A.M. at Willowdale Children’s Academy can benefit your child? Contact us to get your questions answered or schedule a personal tour of one of our schools.
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