Coppell, TX
Smart Start Early Childhood Education Center

"Every child is a unique person, with their own interests, learning style, growth timetable, and culture. When given the time, space, and opportunity to interact in a meaningful environment, a child can construct new ideas and link them to existing knowledge."

-- Excerpted from school literature

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"Students at Smart Start are not put on a time schedule. Instead they will follow a daily routine which is not structured around specific time limits. A daily routine provides repetition and continuity necessary for the young child’s feeling of security. Our setup provides students with less interruption. Teachers choose to complete activities and transition to other activities based on the students’ needs, circumstances, and interests.

"The routine may vary from room to room, but includes the essential periods of time: a time for sharing, clarifying, and evaluating; large blocks of time where each child can choose his or her own activities from a variety of learning areas; and times that are quiet and active.

"Meeting Time: Students greet each other, talk about important events, sing, learn about new materials and plan their day.

"Work Time (Centers and Projects): Students work in small groups or individually, and develop ideas through encounters with materials set up in center, conversations, group discussions, and symbolic representations in multiple forms: art, music, movement, manipulatives, dance, drama, constructions and writing.

"Snack: Students eat snacks in the classroom or may go to the kitchen and participate in a cooking project snack.

"Group Time: Students share and review their work time activities.

"Outdoor/Indoor Play: Students play outside if weather permits. If weather does not permit, they are taken into the multipurpose room for active play and/or out onto their covered patios.

"Lunch: Students may eat in the classroom or outside.

"Story Time: The teacher reads stories to children and guides students on specific areas of reading development.

"Rest: Students are required by law to receive a rest time. All students will be given a sufficient amount of quiet time to fall asleep. Children who do not fall asleep will be allowed to work on quiet activities.

"Class Journal: Students come together, review, and dictate the day’s events in a classroom journal. Each journal is posted outside each classroom for parents to read before entering the class.

"Prepare Student To Go Home"

-- Excerpted from school literature

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