Gina Sarver believes fundamental skills are the building blocks of academic success. Accordingly, her transitional day care program, Little Scholars Christian Academy in Montgomery, prioritizes early childhood development.
Sarver opened the school in 2015 after working in corporate child care facilities for more than 20 years.
“I’ve always had a love for children,” Sarver said. “Children are my passion. I want to empower them. It’s really important [that] they have a really good foundation in early education to make them successful throughout the rest of their educational career.”
The academy offers a structured curriculum and maintains low child-to-teacher ratios. Sarver said her program combines the personalized attention found in private preschools with the hours of a day care program. In each classroom, children participate in lesson plans based on their age and developmental stages.
Children can be enrolled at Little Scholars Christian Academy starting at 6 weeks old. There is no structure in infant care, which ends at 12 months, but early development is emphasized.
“The key thing with infants is monitoring their milestones,” Sarver said. “We want to make sure they are hitting those developmental milestones. If we see a little bit of a delay [in development], we immediately like to bring that to the parents’ attention.”
In the toddler room, teachers focus on improving gross and fine motor skills through basic exercises, such as drawing circles, crafting art and singing. Sarver said teachers show children how to hold a crayon appropriately and emphasize wrist motions that enhance the child’s ability to write.
As the child advances into the older age groups, the school implements an increasingly organized daily routine with curriculum-based classroom time. The teachers cover reading, writing, science and math.
“Our teachers actively implement lesson plans and sometimes have individual plans for children who may be a little bit more advanced or may need some time to catch up,” Sarver said.
The school has 121 students enrolled in its part-time and full-time programs and dedicates at least two teachers per classroom. She said most classrooms at the day care are staffed with teachers who have degrees.
In the summer, the schedule shifts into a camp-style curriculum, which includes weekly themes and surprise guests. This year, Sarver said the academy anticipates visits from a taxidermist and a veterinarian during animal week.
“Once a week, we will have snow cones, and we will do a fun outdoor water activity,” Sarver said. “It will be lots of fun and will definitely be a nice change from the school year.”
780 Clepper Drive, Montgomery
936-597-9010
www.littlescholarsofmontgomery.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed Saturdays and Sundays
