Junior Academy

Junior Academy

The Junior Academy section of LU consists of students in Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten. Students in the Junior Academy will develop reading/literacy skills, knowledge of printed material, both spoken and written expressive language. The math curriculum helps children view math as a useful tool that applies to their everyday life, both at home and in the community. Social Sciences are also incorporated into the day giving the Junior Academy students a foundation for future learning. Along with the academic direction of the curriculum, social and emotional readiness is addressed for each Junior Academy child.

LU’s Junior Academy environment promotes this growth and development daily through activities and interactions. Students work and play together in a cooperative environment. The curriculum is a balance of play, discovery, manipulation, and participation and takes into consideration the different developmental levels and needs of individual children. Differentiation, individualized instruction, reinforcement, and challenge are hallmarks of LU.

We believe that the natural curiosity of children needs to be nurtured from an early age. Therefore, we have developed a core curriculum of language arts, math, science, art, music, physical education, computer technology, and foreign language. Social living skills are integrated into the child’s day and subjects that expand well beyond a child’s crucial play and rest periods.

Our program is developmentally appropriate. We utilize a hands-on approach to learning. Through authentic assessment, children’s strengths, needs, and progression are monitored continuously. Monthly theme units constitute the core curriculum, using comprehensive activities including language, fine motor skills, art, socialization, self-perception, gross motor skills, pre-math, science, sensory experiences, music, dramatic play, children’s literature, and much more.

Skills in visual and auditory recognition, sequencing, and memory are introduced and expanded according to individual needs and a child’s abilities. Introduction of foreign languages, computers, and technology are added enrichments to a child’s early childhood experience.

The early childhood classroom is characterized by a large variety of “centers”, which the teacher carefully and thoughtfully plans with the idea of promoting a total growth experience for each child. Their social, emotional, physical, creative, and intellectual needs are considered, and developmentally appropriate activities are planned accordingly.

Our early childhood students are provided with an environment where they can search for opportunities and challenges while taking risks that will help encourage them to strive towards being life-long learners.

Junior Academy Program

The Junior Academy incorporates the following:

  • Frog Street Program – all round cognitive, language and social and emotional development (Preschool & Pre-Kindergarten)
  • Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten
  • Fostering self-reliance and independence
  • Individualized developmental learning
  • Dance Playground Program – dance/acting/freestyle improvisation
  • Spanish and French language instruction

Part- time 8:00 a.m. through 12: 00 p.m. (Preschool only) and Full time 8:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m.

Frog Street Program

The Frog Street Program provides preschool & pre-kindergarten teachers with a weekly overview in order to help them prepare more effectively for the lessons that will be taught. The overview includes program materials for the week, things to make and do to prepare for the lesson, the word of the week, books to share with the students and the focus skill for the week. The daily schedule is as follows:

Greeting Circle

A sense of community is built and maintained each day through conscious discipline strategies. Social and emotional skills are practiced throughout the day from the morning circle to the closing message.

Morning Message

Short morning messages provide a springboard for developing letter knowledge, phonological awareness, print awareness and oral language.

Moving & Learning

Children dance and sing, creating joy that echoes throughout the day.

Read-Aloud Time

Two selections for reading aloud are offered each day. Vocabulary is developed prior to or during reading. Follow-up questions encourage children to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the information they encounter.

Literacy Lesson

Easy-to-follow and fun-filled lessons are presented in a consistent format: focus, develop, transition, practice, and reflect.

Math & Science

Manipulatives are available for the math and science lessons and centers.

Content Connection

Students make connections with the information they learned that day.

Closing Circle

Teacher and students reflect on their day.

Frogstreet Program

In addition to the traditional program, LU also offers the Frog Street program to Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten. The Frog Street Press Pre-School / Pre-K curriculum has been chosen by Learning Unlimited Preparatory School as the theme-based program of delivery. These child-friendly lessons simplify the school day and meet all learning goals with intentional and purposeful instruction. We provide a quality, challenging but achievable, curriculum that actively engages children to think, reason, and communicate with others, so as to acquire important skills and concepts.

The Frog Street Press Program consists of nine themes over a 180 day instructional school year. Each day begins with a Greeting Circle. This helps build a sense of community while providing children the opportunity to perform a calming strategy (a de-stressor), and an opportunity to connect with classmates through fun activities. The Greeting Circle is followed by a Moving and Learning activity, as well as a Morning Message, which involves the practice of early literacy skills. The rest of the day is filled with a number of other enterprises such as two Read-Aloud sessions, thoughtful discussions, integrated math, science and social skills segments and a wealth of opportunities for story-telling, listening and story re-enactment. Of course, literacy and math lessons are offered daily and are short, theme-related and filled with hands-on applications and meaningful context. Throughout the day songs, games, and music are interwoven to assure a stimulating and joyful journey of learning, from the Greeting Circle to the Closing Circle.

The Frog Street Press Curriculum:

  • Embraces the joy of learning
  • Stimulates  of imagination and encouragement of creativity through such activities as story- telling, song, dance, play-acting, and make-believe
  • Provides comprehensive, integrated instruction of themes and disciplines in all domains
  • Balances intentional instruction with child-centered learning
  • Provides equity-English and Spanish- of materials and instruction
  • Incorporates differentiated  learning by addressing the eight intelligences and scaffolding
  • Offers a strong daily routine that develops key social skills and emotional controls
  • Values individual differences
  • Empowers children with choices in self-directed activities
  • Honors the power of a strong teacher-child interaction to develop rich oral language and a robust vocabulary
  • Provides a systematic and sequential continuum for building skills and concepts
  • Uses research-based principles of learning as the cornerstone of instruction

Kindergarten

The Kindergarten student will develop reading/literacy skills, knowledge of printed material, both spoken and written expressive language. The math curriculum helps children view math as a useful tool that applies to their everyday life, both at home and in the community. Social Sciences as also incorporated into the day giving the Kindergarten student a foundation for future learning. Along with the academic direction of the curriculum, social and emotional readiness is addressed for each Kindergarten child.
The Kindergarten environment promotes this growth and development daily through activities and interactions. Students work and play together in a cooperative environment. Students also enjoy special classes of Music, Art, Technology, Library, PE and Foreign Languages (Spanish and French). The curriculum is a balance of play, discovery, manipulation and participation and takes into consideration the different developmental levels and needs of individual children. Differentiation, individualized instruction, reinforcement, and challenge are hallmarks of LU.