Brainy Steps is a high quality program to help your child transition from home to school environment. This program is designed for children who have never attended a preschool or daycare or those that haven’t attended one recently.
Brainy Steps allows your child to transition from primary caretaker (parent) into school environment in a gentle manner and at their own pace. Our talented teachers work with your child initially one on one to help them feel comfortable and then in a classroom with the other children. The last step is for your little student to feel comfortable enough to stay in a classroom with other students by him or herself with no tears or anxiety. After that the student can continue to attend our program until they start prekindergarten (with us or somewhere else) or be placed into a full time childcare facility of your choice.
Brainy Steps:
Each of these steps take anywhere from 0 to 3 private lessons for an average student.
Step 1 The parent and the child come in together to explore Brainy Academy and what it has to offer them. A teacher is available to meet with the child for 20 to 30 minutes and evaluate if the student is ready to start the program. This preliminary appointment is free. If the teacher determines the child is not ready we will make another appointment for you within a month or two at your convenience.
Step 2 During the first few sessions student works individually in a classroom with one of our teachers while the parent is also present in the classroom. The parent is present for reassurance only and does not interact with the student.
Step 3 Parent sits right outside the classroom while the classroom door is open while child works with the teacher one on one.
Step 4 Child is asked to close the classroom door (with the parent right outside of it). Child and teacher than proceed to work in the classroom alone.
Step 5 Teacher asks the child to accompany her into the classroom with the other children. Student accompanies the teacher and stays inside the classroom with the other children for a full hour (duration of the private session). During this time the teacher only works with her student.
Step 6 Teacher stays with the student for half a session and asks the student if she can leave the classroom while the student stays by herself. Student stays alone in the classroom with the other teachers and the other students for the duration of the session. The teacher stays outside the classroom for reassurance and will step back into the classroom if needed.
Step 7 Student willingly goes into the group classroom without her private teacher and stays for the duration of the class.
Many children complete steps 1 through 6 within 4 to 8 weeks.
For children, as well as for adults progress can sometimes be “2 steps forward 1 step back.” Rest assured that if your child needs to go a step back we will accommodate them. Your cost remains the same no matter which step your child is currently working on.
All caregivers are expected to remain on premises at all times.
