How do you know if your child is truly prepared for Kindergarten?

Jenkins Preschool Academy offers all the components of a high-quality preschool program. However, we are unique in providing Response to Instruction. This method assures that children are successfully mastering the academic concepts and foundational skills needed in later grades.

We do not assume that every child will learn at the same rate or in the same way. Because of the variance in children's learning rates and abilities, it is essential to know if the instruction is effective sooner, rather than later. To determine the effectiveness of our instruction, JPA teachers frequently collect, chart, and share data with parents to show that students are acquiring the necessary basic skills. If the data tells us that the instruction is not meeting the needs of your child, then we adjust the instruction. This progress monitoring and data-based decision making method is widely used in New Hanover County Schools at the elementary and middle school levels, but Jenkins Preschool Academy is the first to incorporate it at the preschool level.

Because preschool children learn through play, our instruction involves a combination of teacher-directed and child-directed activities and lessons that engage them in critical thinking and exploration. To assess the basic skills, we utilize very brief curriculum-based measures (30 sec to 1 min) that are presented as games or challenges. Children become excited when they realize their knowledge of a skill is increasing.

Combining a comprehensive developmental curriculum with the use of Response to Instruction, Jenkins Preschool Academy gives parents accurate and specific information as evidence that their child is truly prepared for the challenges of Kindergarten and beyond. There's more than play at JPA!