EARLY LEARNING FOUNDATIONS (E.L.F.)

Welcome to Early Learning Foundations

NYC Licensed Preschool education from Gymtime Rhythm and Glues

The ELF Philosophy

Every child is important and is entitled to the very best start to their education. We will provide opportunities for all children to succeed in an atmosphere that is caring and values the individual. We believe that young children are active learners. They constantly encounter new experiences and seek to understand them - building on what they know. Our well planned classrooms provide these experiences through a play based curriculum. Play is central to their learning and we will use a variety of strategies, together with knowledge of child development, in an environment that is both challenging and enjoyable.

Classroom Based Activities

Basing our program in a child centered preschool classroom minimizes disruption and gives your children social and emotional security. They will see teachers as caregivers and their school as a safe and fun environment.

Flexibility!

ELF gives you and your children all the provisions of preschool but without the year long commitment - payment is by the semester, not annually. We offer separate Fall and Spring sessions and continuity is guaranteed in following sessions through priority bookings for returning families.

NYC Licensed Preschool

The Board of Health ensures that the high standards of a fully licensed program are maintained through regular inspections.

A Full Preschool Curriculum

We provide a comprehensive early years curriculum (cognitive, social and emotional, communication, language and literacy, mathematical, physical and creative areas) that openly values the importance of 'play' in children's understanding of the world around them.

Gym Classes Monday through Thursday

30 minutes in the Gymtime Gymnastics and Sports Center with our dynamic coaching team. This program enhances all aspects of the children's physical development and compliments skill development in the classroom. Not least of all... it's lots of fun!

Fully Qualified Staff

All of our teachers are Early Childhood Educators. They have solid teaching experience at the Early Childhood Level, hold Master's Degrees in Early Childhood Education and traditional advanced degrees. The Head Teachers team teach with the Assistant Teachers trained in Early Childhood Education.  We work as a team to ensure consistency in all ELF classrooms.

younger elf (for 2.3-2.6 years)

ELF (For 2.7 - 3.6 years)

The beginning of school is an exciting time filled with a mixture of feelings for both children and parents - especially when it comes to separation. As children become ready to do more on their own, issues of separation arise. Helping children to cope with these is fundamental to our program and the first few weeks of school are very important.

Over the first two weeks, our phased separation program will help your children develop trust and confidence in experiences away from home and ease them into this new experience.

We recognize that each child is an individual who experiences separation in a personal way and individuality is also a consideration in our approach to separation. We know some children may be able to separate after the first week, but appreciate that, for some, it may take a month.

	YOUNGER ELF AND ELF FALL 2010 SCHEDULE   PROGRAM OPTIONS (PRICING PER SEMESTER) 9:00-12:00  Mon, Wed, Fri   $4950 9:00-12:00  Tues, Thurs     $3300 1:00-4:00   Mon, Wed, Fri   $4950

   

Older ELF (For 3.6 - 4.6 years)

Following the success of the morning ELF program, we are now offering the same, high quality preschool education for older children. The class will follow the same play based approach and philosophy that guides the morning program.

The program offers:

Outside play - in addition to the gym sessions, we will be able to offer the use of the outside playground to afternoon sessions.

A full preschool curriculum that acknowledges the increasing skills, knowledge and abilities of 'OLDER ELF' children including an introduction to phonics and math.

The goals are:

1. To teach developmentally appropriate skills across the curriculum.
2. To promote socialization among peers.
3. To use the context of play to implement a full preschool curriculum that develops educational concepts in all areas.

older elf FALL 2010 SCHEDULE PROGRAM OPTIONS (PRICING PER SEMESTER) 1:00-4:00  Mon-Fri    $7650

The ELF Book Exchange

We are excited to announce our latest development.

We will nurture a love of books, encourage our children to take more responsibility for their reading choices and develop early library skills as they borrow from our stock of books on a weekly basis.