There’s power in playtime, indeed. It may look like the children in Canyons’ preschool classes are just hopping, dancing, singing, and painting, but there’s actually a lot of growth happening.
Parents in search of a preschool to help jumpstart their child’s development have a stellar option in Canyons District’s evidence-based program.
The application window for spots in Canyons’ tuition-based preschools in the 2023-2024 school year opens Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023.
Families with children who will be age 3 or 4 by Sept. 1, 2023 and live within Canyons District’s boundaries can apply to participate in the first-come, first-served, tuition-based preschool program via this link.
This year, CSD will have 22 preschool programs at 12 schools throughout the District.
CSD preschools follow a curriculum that lines up with the state’s core standards. But that doesn’t mean the little students — and their teachers — don’t have a lot of fun in during class time, says Terri Mitchell, Canyons’ Early Childhood Program Administrator.
“You will see adults on the floor playing with the students and supporting their learning,” said Mitchell. “So, our goal as adults, as we’re there playing with them, building a block structure, for example, we might be having conversations around what would one more look like? How can we make it taller? What would it look like if it fell over? Darn, it fell over, how can we make it more sturdy next time? In this example, we are building vocabulary, we’re building language, we’re building cognitive support, and self-regulation.”
While these basic interactions may seem simple, the impact is vital, Mitchell says, as students who complete the program meet state standards for literacy learning, numeracy learning and creativity in the arts.
Canyons’ tuition preschool program for 3 and 4 year olds provides 2.5 hours of instruction two or four days a week for students who live within District boundaries. Each classroom is taught by a teacher who is certified in both general education and special education.
Classes include students who have special needs to provide opportunities for each student to learn and build relationships with classmates who have different abilities. Those opportunities are fundamental to preparing young children to interact with the world as they grow older, Mitchell says.
“They develop a sense of empathy that we couldn’t teach otherwise,” Mitchell says. “They’re able to support and understand when there’s difficulty in the classroom with a student with a disability. I often see them holding hands with them. I often seem them saying, ‘It’s OK, it’s OK, we can make this work.’ They’re always there to help support and intervene.”
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- Morning sessions are 8:20-10:50 a.m.
- Afternoon sessions are 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Students can enroll in a two- or four-days-a-week program
- Children in special-education may be able to attend free of cost
- Cost is $100 per month for students attending two days per week and $200 a month for students attending four days. There’s also a one-time $20 registration fee.
