Academics
Preschool (Infants, Toddlers, 2K, 3K, VPK)
The Goals of Our Curriculum: The most important goal of our early childhood curriculum is to help children become enthusiastic learners. This means encouraging children to be active and creative explorers who are not afraid to try out their ideas and to think their own thoughts. Our goal is to help children to become independent, self-confident, inquisitive learners. We are teaching them how to learn, not just in preschool but all through their lives. We are allowing them to learn at their own pace and in ways that are the best for them. We are giving children good habits and attitudes, particularly a positive sense of themselves, which will make a difference throughout their lives.
Our curriculum identifies goals in all areas of development:
- Social: to help children feel comfortable in school, trust their new environment, make friends, and feel they are part of a group.
- Emotional: to help children experience pride and self-confidence, develop independence and self-control and have a positive attitude toward life.
- Cognitive: to help children become confident learners and letting them try out their own ideas and experience success, and by helping them acquire learning skills such as the ability to solve problems, ask questions and use words to describe their ideas, observation and feelings.
- Physical: to help increase their large and small muscle skills and feel confident about what their bodies can do.
The activities we plan for children, the way we organize the environment, select the toys and materials, plan the daily schedule and talk with children, are all designed to accomplish the goals or our curriculum and give your child a success start in school.
High Scope Curriculum
The High Scope Preschool Curriculum is based on the principles of active learning and support of a child’s positive interactions with adults and peers. Research-based and child-focused, the High Scope Infant-Toddler Curriculum uses a carefully designed process of learning through discovery called active participatory learning. During active learning, infants and toddlers learn about the world around them by exploring and playing.
The High Scope Infant-Toddler Curriculum is a comprehensive model that addresses all areas of development through six content areas and 42 key developmental indicators (KDIs) — the skills and behaviors at each stage of development that pave the way for school and adult success. Each KDI is connected to and reinforced by scaffolding strategies to support and gently extend children’s learning.
INFANT-TODDLER CONTENT AREAS
- Approaches to Learning
- Social and Emotional Development
- Physical Development and Health
- Communication, Language, and Literacy
- Cognitive Development
- Creative Arts
- Explore More
During the toddler stages of his life, your child is opening his/her eyes to the wider world and taking an active role in it, with boundless energy. We embrace that energy and channel it into active, sensory-based, meaningful experiences. We emphasize your child’s development, rather than specific age, because all children grow and learn at their own pace, and in their own unique way. Our early learning program and curriculum are designed to enhance the cognitive, gross motor, fine motor, social, emotional, speech and language development of each child.
Toddlers (1-2 years old)
Pre-Kinder 3K (3 years old)
At 3 years old, your child is becoming more curious by the day. It’s that natural sense of curiosity that we use to teach them to learn and grow. At Just Kids, your child will flourish in an environment filled with child initiated activities that balance play and discovery by teacher direction and instruction. Early preschoolers are guided in making an important transition from individual play to group play. Creative activities encourage self-expression through movement, painting and dramatic play.
Academy
With a strong emphasis on academics, Just Kids Centers appropriately challenges the students at each level. We offer a range of academic coursework and resources to provide individualized attention and work through areas of weakness. We are committed to helping children develop into well-rounded individuals, and while academics are a major focus, academic pursuits must be balanced with the many other facets of child development if we are to meet our ultimate goal of guiding children to grow into secure and confident individuals.
General Curriculum
Whether it is aimed at 3 year olds or elementary students, Just Kids Academy’s curriculum is designed to meet and exceed all Florida state and national standards guidelines. Our curriculum is both challenging and exciting. It is continually modified to reflect advances in curriculum development and to better promote scholastic achievement for our students. We integrate various teaching methods into a traditional, broad-based curriculum with a multi-modal approach and focus not only on fundamentals but also on higher level thinking skills.
Kindergarten
The kindergarten year, which prepares students for the formal academic routine of first grade, is one of the most important years in every student’s educational development. The program is specially designed to prepare these five year olds for the challenges they will face upon entering elementary school. The kindergarten faculty provides varied activities and exercises directed toward stimulating these youngsters. Small work groups and learning stations are important parts of the kindergarten curriculum in identifying areas of strength and weakness.
In addition, each child is directed into a program for reading and math in order to establish a strong academic foundation, which is essential to later success. During the kindergarten year, these students also focus heavily on language arts as they continue to develop reading, writing, and grammar skills. Through a variety of academic, manipulative, physical, social, and artistic activities, the faculty enhances each child’s innate curiosity, creative expression, and enthusiasm, thus developing well-rounded, responsible, and independent students.
Elementary (1st Grade through 5th Grade)
The elementary level encompasses grades one through five and is committed to providing a strong academic curriculum while encouraging each student’s overall development. Just Kids Academy’s small classes help create an environment in which our dedicated teachers can actively encourage each student to achieve his or her full academic potential, explore creative abilities, develop physical talents, and become a productive and responsible individual.
Our challenging language arts curriculum provides students with an understanding of the mechanics and intricacies of the English language with an emphasis on reading, writing, spelling, speaking, and listening skills. Our traditional phonics-based approach to reading successfully prepares Just Kids students to use their writing and verbal skills effectively.
In addition to language arts and mathematics, modern science and social studies programs are important elements of the core academic curriculum. Lab-based computer classes provide our students with the skills necessary to be competitive in our highly technological world. Core subject areas are often integrated with computer lessons to teach computer skills while working toward subject-specific goals. In addition, students use technology in the classroom to supplement their texts, individualize curriculum, serve as resource materials, help learn concepts in unique ways, and to interact with the world around them. Moreover, technology is one of the many tools that are introduced during regularly scheduled visits to the library/media center.
Just Kids’ academic curriculum and varied activities and programs help students develop solid foundations and advance into Middle School ready to excel.
English for Speakers of other Languages Program(ESOL)
ESOL students bring valuable diverse perspectives to our classrooms and many are in the enviable position of learning an additional language. Some ESOL students need specific support as they learn rigorous academic content simultaneously as they acquire English.
The Just Kids Academy curriculum provides English for speakers of other languages services as an integrated part of classroom instruction for meeting students’ needs. Instruction is based on each student’s proficiency and grade level. Small group instruction is designed to develop listening, speaking, and writing skills that will help our students excel in their academic endeavors, as well as to use conversational English for everyday life.