FAQs

The most important goals of our preschool curriculum are for children to get along well with others and become enthusiastic learners. We want children to become independent, self-confident, curious learners who can work well with others. We’re teaching them how to learn, not just in preschool, but throughout their lives. We do this by creating purposeful and productive play experiences that help children grow in all areas:

• Social/emotional: To help children develop independence, self-confidence, and self-control; follow rules and routines, make friends, and learn what it means to be part of a group.
• Physical: To increase children’s large muscle skills – balancing, running, jumping, throwing and catching – and use the small muscles in their hand to do tasks like buttoning, stringing beads, cutting, drawing and writing.
• Cognitive: To acquire thinking skills such as the ability to solve problems, to ask questions, and to think logically; sorting, classifying, comparing, counting, and making patterns; and to use materials and their imagination to show what they have learned.
• Language: To use words to communicate with others, listen to and participate in conversations with others, understand the purpose of print, recognize letters and words, and begin writing for a purpose.

Through the activities we plan, the way we organize the classroom, select toys and materials, plan the daily schedule, and talk with children, we seek to accomplish the goals of our curriculum and give your child a successful start in school.

The most important factor is well-trained staff. The majority of SRCC teachers have degrees in child-development besides being trained in CPR, first aid, and the recognition of communicable disease. The professional qualifications and training of teachers and staff is crucial to a quality program. All of our administrators have at least a bachelor’s degree in child development plus years of experience as teachers of young children and extensive experience in administration. We participate in ongoing educational training and many give workshops to other professionals at local, state, and national conferences. Low child-to-teacher ratio. The number of adults and children is important because it helps determine how much individual attention your child will get. There should be at least one adult to every:

• Four infants (birth to 18 months)
• Five toddlers (18-36 months)
• Ten preschoolers (3-5 year olds)
• Ohio requires that all centers be licensed by the state which examines health and safety practices. We don’t believe this is enough

Do you want your child to…

• get along with others?
• use words to solve problems?
• learn to listen and follow directions?
• be creative?
• make decisions?
• be self-confident and respectful?
• enjoy learning?
• love school?

If you do, then our early childhood program is perfect for your child. Our goal is to help children become independent, self-confident, inquisitive learners, as well as respectful to other people. We’re teaching children how to learn, not just in preschool and kindergarten, but all of their lives. We allow them to learn at their own pace in the ways that are best for each of them. We help to cultivate good habits and attitudes, particularly positive self-esteem, which will make a difference throughout their lives. However, no early childhood program is effective without a high level of communication, trust, and respect between teachers and parents. You are the foremost expert of your children and our most important resource. We strongly encourage parent participation in our program.

Children are learning every minute of the day. They learn from the way the classroom is organized, from the daily schedule, from activities, and from their outdoor play.Our classrooms are set up for learning. Children have many opportunities to make choices, come up with ideas, experiment, and take responsibility for their work. Here’s what you’ll see when you visit:  

• Materials are on low shelves in containers and on hooks so children can get them independently and put them away.
• Shelves are neat and uncluttered so materials are easy to see, remove, and replace.
• Picture and word labels are on containers and shelves so children know where materials belong and also learn to use print.
• There are distinct interest areas – blocks, dramatic play, toys and games, art, puzzles, manipulative, reading, sensory, and computers – so children know what choices are available and can make a decision.
• A variety of learning materials are in each area so that no matter where children choose to play, they learn.

Many parents ask us what they can do to help their children succeed in school. You don’t need to buy a lot of special toys or equipment to turn your child into a successful student. The best thing you can do is to take time to play with your child, read wonderful books together, and talk as you go about your normal, everyday household chores. Sometimes, after a long day at work, this may seem difficult. But you’ll find that this kind of attention has a powerful effect on children and makes your job as a parent more fun and interesting-and sometimes easier.You are your child’s first and most important teacher. They way you talk with your child makes a big difference in how your child thinks and feels and the kind of person your child will become. If the center and parents can work together and do some of the same things at school and at home, your child will benefit in many ways.

Absolutely. In fact, we strongly encourage parent participation in our program. We welcome and encourage parent visitation at any time.Special parent activities are planned throughout the year such as “Meet the Teachers” night, parent conferences, parent education classes, field trips and many more. An open communication system is maintained between parents and teachers. Matters of concern are discussed as they occur. Suggestions from parents are welcomed and appreciated.

We want children to feel secure and independent, and move from one activity to another as easily and confidently as possible. And we want to provide a variety of learning experiences for a well-rounded education. So we plan a daily schedule with these goals in mind. We follow the same schedule day after day. This helps children feel secure because they know what comes next and after a few months, children are amazingly independent. A copy of the daily schedule is posted on the parent board outside each classroom.

Teachers at SRCC offer children appropriate ways to redirect their behavior, offering choices rather than problem solving for the children. Teachers are skilled at helping children calm down and use words to describe and solve a problem. The goal is to teach children how to resolve problems on their own. The teachers encourage appropriate behavior by giving the children positive verbal rewards. This encouragement reinforces a child’s good feeling about his/her behavior and serves as an example to other children. All children are treated with respect, tenderness, and good humor.

At Smoky Row Children’s Center we have a very low teacher turnover rate. Over 50 percent of the full-time teachers have been working here more than 10 years. Teachers who have been in a program longer establish bonds with the children and those relationships help children grow and learn. We attribute our low staff turnover to the fact that SRCC is very committed to providing an excellent environment for the teachers and children. We only hire teachers who are professionally committed to the field of early childhood education. The administrators value good staff and work to keep them. Each of those staff members shares the common goal of doing what is in the best interest of the children. We believe that children benefit from forming bonds with caring teachers who will be with them consistently throughout their early childhood years.

There may be a waitlist depending on your program choice. The Infant and Toddler rooms typically have an average waitlisted time of 9-12 months. However, it can be longer or shorter depending on the current number of families on the waitlist. The Center gives priority to siblings of children enrolled. We encourage you to register for the Infant and Toddler programs well in advance in order to increase your chances of securing an opening. Most children join our full-day preschool program at the beginning of our summer session in mid June or at the beginning of our fall session in late August.In order to secure a spot in this program, we suggest that you register for the waitlist early in the calendar year in which you wish to start. Children are enrolled based on the date of their registration. Once the program has been filled for both summer and fall sessions, each additional child’s registration form will be kept on the waitlist to fill any additional openings that may occur throughout the year.The part-time preschool program follows the Olentangy School schedule and begins in early September. Registration begins in December to secure a spot for the fall of that same year. Once the program has been filled for both summer and fall sessions, each additional child’s registration form will be kept on the waitlist to fill any additional openings that may occur throughout the year.

To register and get on the waitlist, online at any time. You can also download PDF documents for things like health records, etc. under “Forms and Registrations”. While we cannot guarantee that you will be able to enroll at your preferred time, we can say that by getting on the waitlist you will eventually be able to enroll your child in one of our programs. Children may be enrolled any time the center has an opening. Parents will be notified when an opening occurs. If the parents accept the position, the necessary paper work to begin attendance will be provided. The $50 registration fee will be collected at this time.