An exceptional preschool for extraordinary children

Love and Sun Learning Center utilizes Maryland’s Early Learning Standards for Pre-Kindergarten to guide all learning activities.  Our MSDE-approved, original three-year cycle of integrated thematic units have been developed using a variety of resources and offer engaging, targeted lessons that promote early literacy and math skills to prepare children to enter Kindergarten.  Ongoing observations using Maryland's Early Learning Assessment guide instruction and provide valuable information regarding individual student’s strengths and weaknesses.  This information is used to tailor an educational program to meet each child’s needs.  Whole group instruction, small group instruction and one-on-one tutoring will be provided to allow children to reach their fullest potential.  

Circle Time
Circle Time incorporates a variety of routines to address early math, literacy, science and social skills.  During the course of our 15 minute circle time, students hone calendar skills, count in English, Spanish and French, say "The Pledge of Allegiance," report the daily weather, observe and continue patterns, compare sets of manipulatives, sing songs and read a morning message written by the teacher.  

Learning Centers
Learning Centers are a key component to our program.  They are available throughout our indoor and outdoor classrooms and promote growth in early literacy and mathematics skills, fine motor skills, creativity, social and emotional development, and gross motor skills.  Ten learning center activities rotate weekly and all children will be encouraged to visit a variety of centers each day.  Center activities are exploratory, providing children opportunities to problem solve and express creativity.  Teachers are available throughout learning center time to offer guidance and assistance if needed. 

Flexible Small Groups
Small groups meet daily to address early literacy and mathematics skills, including (but not limited to) letter, sight word, number, shape, and color identification and phonemic awareness skills.  Children are grouped based on strengths and needs rather than by age group.  Students may flex in and out of groups as they improve and master topics of study. 

Whole Group Instruction
When the teacher deems it beneficial for all students to be exposed to a topic of study, instruction will be delivered to the whole class.  Within whole group instruction, expectations and products are differentiated to be age and ability-appropriate. Whole group instruction may take place in our indoor or outdoor classrooms.  

Arts and Crafts
Artwork and/or crafts are produced each day.  Children work with a variety of materials and are sometimes provided specific instructions to complete a craft.  Other days, they are given the opportunity to express and explore their creativity by creating abstract and unstructured artwork. 

Story time
Each day, children have the opportunity to independently “read” and explore our selection of fiction and non-fiction preschool books.  Additional theme-related reading materials are on display each month.  Teachers read a daily story related to the current theme and/or a topic of interest.  We participate in the Baltimore County Public Library’s mobile program and are visited each month by library storytellers and the bookmobile!

Music and Movement
Time is allotted each day to dance to our favorite songs, sing preschool songs, play instruments, and/or practice yoga. 

Assessment
Love and Sun Learning Center utilizes Maryland's Early Learning Assessment (a rubric system based on learning standards) to document student progress.  Within 30 days of admission, all students participate in the SPEED DIAL-4 developmental screening tool.  Results are shared with parents at Fall conferences.  Progress reports are provided to parents each spring and parent/teacher conferences are available each fall and spring and/or when requested by either party.  

Individual and Small Group Tutoring
Teachers reinforce topics of study with tutoring sessions on an as-needed basis.  Lessons are developed based on individual strengths and needs.   

Enrichment
A variety of highly-qualified enrichment teachers visit regularly to provide additional cultural arts opportunities.  We provide onsite field trips throughout the year and typically take three off-site field trips per year.

Additional Instructional Materials:
**Open Court sight word program
**Scholastic Weekly Reader program
**Author Studies

Love and Sun 
Learning Center