Our Center

The Sprout House has children ages 6 weeks to 2 years divided into 3 groups: 6 weeks - 8 months old, 8-18 months old, and 18-24 months old. Each of the 3 groups has a full-time lead teacher and an aide so our ratio is maintained at 3-4 children per adult. Our center is unique in that the babies are able to move throughout the center and use all of the rooms and not be assigned to only one space. We divide the groups as necessary based on age and development. We have no more than 18 babies in the center at one time.

Our daily schedule is set by the needs of the babies. At around 1 year old, we start transitioning the babies to a more structured schedule, but until that time everything (feedings, naps) is done on each baby's individual schedule. Because of our small numbers, even after a baby turns 1 year old we are able to transition the babies based on their individual needs.

The teachers choose the toys and activities based on the children's developmental needs and rotate them accordingly. Children are allowed to move through the program areas freely and choose what they would like to do. We take the babies outside daily, weather permitting.

After the older group turns 2 years old, we transition the group all together to Rainbow.

Rainbow is divided into 2 groups.

The Sharks:

The 2 and young 3 year old group. While they are Sharks, the children spend their day working on developing healthy social skills, language acquisition, large and small motor development, and potty training. They go outside 2-3 times during the day all year round, weather permitting.

The Whalephins:

The group upstairs is the preschool, 3.5-5 year olds. We use The Creative Curriculum for Preschool which focuses on helping children learn the fundamentals they need for school (learning in a group, social skills, waiting, taking turns, math, science, language, pre-writing and writing) during all of the activities throughout the day. We feel that learning is most successful when incorporated into every part of the day. The Whalephins also go outside 2-3 times a day, weather permitting.

The daily schedule for our preschool group has the more structured part of the curriculum in the morning (circle time and project time). After lunch, the children play outside then come together for a group story time. Then they have a rest time and go back outside in the afternoon.