LEARNING TREE PRESCHOOL
Learning Tree Preschool is a GREAT PLACE TO GROW! We are FULLY LICENSED, with a dedicated and highly qualified staff.
Learning Tree Preschool is A GREAT PLACE TO GROW! Our fully licensed preschool program promotes cognitive, language, physical, and social/emotional development through QUALITY CHILD-CENTERED ACTIVITIES.
Our dedicated and qualified teaching staff is committed to providing individualized instruction. We offer LOW CHILD TO TEACHER RATIOS and RICH LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS.
Young children learn best through discovery and exploration. Our preschool program is DEVOTED TO CREATING BALANCE between academic instruction and facilitated play in the classroom.
We VALUE FAMILY INVOLVEMENT and strongly believe in and support the partnership between school and family.
Learning Tree Preschool has been serving the community for over 20 years and our classes are OPEN TO EVERYONE in the Tri-Cities and the surrounding area.
Registration and Enrollment
REGISTRATION
Registration for the following school year takes place in February. Interested families are required to complete a pre-registration form online prior to registration dates. One registration officially opens, pre-registered families will be registered or placed on a waitlist, as necessary. If you are interested in registering your child after the pre-registration period, please contact Kelly Haracourt at kelly.haracourt@tcfymca.org.
ENROLLMENT
Students that have been registered for a class will receive enrollment forms late-summer. These forms include an up-to-date Health Appraisal and Immunization Record (or waiver). Families will also recieve a Welcome Letter, including a list of supplies and Orientation schedule.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Learning Tree Preschool offers financial assistance to families that qualify through the YMCA’s Community Pricing program. Interested families are required to apply for Community Pricing through the Tri-Cities Family YMCA. Applications are available at the Welcome Center. Please submit your completed application to the Welcome Center at least 2 weeks prior to registration.
Class Offerings
PreK for ALL/GSRP
PreK for ALL is tuition-free preschool, funded by the state (MiLEAP). We are required to follow an enrollment timeline that is implemented by the state. Enrollment is done in phases and enrollments are prioritized by income levels (lowest to highest), however all income levels are eligible for tuition-free preschool through this program. All interested families must complete an MiECC Application. This includes providing your annual household income and supporting documentation.
Curriculum
The Creative Curriculum®
The early childhood program will utilize The Creative Curriculum® in its classrooms. This curriculum is a comprehensive, research based, and nationally recognized curriculum that emphasizes effective teaching as the primary tool in helping children achieve learning outcomes. This curriculum offers developmentally appropriate programs that support active learning and promote children’s progress in all developmental areas.
The curriculum is built around the developmental theory that children learn best through active exploration of their environment. The environment plays a critical role in the Creative Curriculum® classroom. The goal of the curriculum is to help children become independent, self-confident, inquisitive, and enthusiastic learners by actively exploring their environment.
Objectives & Goals
The curriculum identifies objectives and goals in all areas of development and learning:
| Social/Emotional | Physical |
| Language | Cognitive |
| Literacy | Mathematics |
| Science & Technology | Social Studies |
| The Arts | English Language Acquisition |
The Learning Environment
The planned activities for the children, the organization of the environment, the selection of materials, the daily schedule, and daily interactions with the children, are all designed to give children a successful early learning experience. Through assessment of the objectives and goals for each individual child, our teachers are able to utilize and implement a wide range of teaching strategies: from child-initiated learning to teacher-directed approaches; to best respond to each child’s learning style, strengths, and interests.
The teaching staff supports the curriculum by carefully designing the environment using eleven different interest areas or centers:
| Blocks | Sand & Water |
| Dramatic Play | Music & Movement |
| Table Toys & Games | Cooking |
| Art | Technology |
| Library | Outdoors |
| Science & Discovery |
The richer the environments, the more concrete opportunities there are for children to learn by interacting with materials and people. The teacher’s role is to create an environment that invites children to observe, to be active, to make choices, and to experiment.