Daycare, preschool accepting registration

NEWTON — Parents who are thinking about the back-to-school season can to take a look at the daycare and the morning and afternoon pre-school programs offered at the Little Sprouts Early Learning Center.

Families with children from infancy through the age of six are invited to tour the daycare and preschool facility, which is located on the Project Self-Sufficiency campus at 127 Mill St. in Newton.

The Little Sprouts Early Learning Center features separate classrooms for each age group, from infants through those entering pre-school. Fully-qualified teachers are available in each classroom and the child-teacher ratio adheres to or exceeds state standards.

In addition to the classrooms, there is an all-purpose room for active indoor play and parent presentations, as well as a sick room for those children who may fall ill during the day. The center is equipped with two separate playgrounds, one for younger tots and one for older children. Each room has new equipment, as well as learning centers for dramatic play, computers, science, housekeeping, sand and water play, reading and music.

The Little Sprouts Early Learning Center, which has been named after B. Douglas Gordon and Elizabeth Houskeeper Gordon, uses “creative curriculum” in all of its programs.

“Creative Curriculum helps instructors to design a preschool program that teaches children important academic skills and helps them to develop socially,” said Claire Willetts, Program Coordinator at Project Self-Sufficiency. “The classrooms are set up to give structure to each child’s day, and to provide appropriate experiences for children, in accordance with their level of development. The curriculum also involves families in the program, and guides learning in literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts, and technology while supporting children’s social and emotional development.”

In addition to the structured curriculum, community volunteers from the New Jersey Master Gardeners program offer frequent educational presentations, hands-on learning activities and advice about nutrition to the children. The New Jersey Master Gardeners are trained volunteers who assist the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Cooperative Extension in its mission to deliver horticulture programs and information to the general public. Additionally, an educational music program for the preschool is currently in development.

“We are delighted to be able to offer quality childcare services and a rigorous preschool program to the community in a state-of-the-art building,” said Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency. “Our staff is excellent, our site is beautiful, and the curriculum we offer will ensure that all of the children placed in our care learn the social and academic skills they need to succeed.”

The Little Sprouts Early Learning Center is located at 127 Mill St. in Newton. Little Sprouts offers space for 83 youngsters, ages six weeks to six years. The facility accepts all types of subsidized daycare assistance, and slots for new students are still available.

For more information visit the center’s website at www.littlesproutsearlylearningcenter.org or call 973-940-3540.