Our Approach

The JumpStart Philosophy

JumpStart’s philosophy is based on hands-on learning experiences where students participate in activities that provide the most effective learning opportunities.

These hands-on activities are structured and each serve a purpose in your child’s learning development. We believe that children are unique and each have differing learning styles, which is why we also incorporate music, drama, as well as the traditional method of paper and pencil into our daily activities. These activities are taught one-on-one as well as in groups. With an all rounded teaching approach, your child will receive quality education which will ensure success throughout the year and beyond.

“The Pre-K years are an important time for children’s literacy growth. Children who are engaged in meaningful, knowledge- building experiences with print gain the foundational skills for becoming skilled readers and writers.”

– (The Albert Shanker Institute (2009). Preschool Curriculum: What’s in It for Children and Teachers? Washington, D.C.: The Albert Shanker Institute)

Literacy

Literacy (both oral and written language) is the main focus of our program and is a part of all activities throughout the day. We include phonics, rhyming, segmenting and blending, concepts of print, oral comprehension and vocabulary, questioning strategies, sequencing, predicting, and storytelling.

Problem Solving Skills

At JumpStart, we do not focus on memorization techniques. Studies have found that memorization is not an effective way to learn since focusing on memorization ignores the underlying concepts needed to develop successful problem solving skills. For example, we do not teach the alphabet song as many students can memorize and sing the song but do not understand that each sound they say is a letter, each with its distinct language properties. Often, ‘l-m-n-o-p’ sounds like one long sound like ‘elamenohpee’ where individual letter sounds are masked by one long sound.

Scaffolding Printing Skills

Understanding the unique letter sounds is a key learning principle that children at a young age can easily grasp with the proper instruction from a qualified professional. Our focus is on letter sounds and understanding that each sound is represented by a letter which, when put together, creates a word. Young children are excited to learn new things, and absorb information like little sponges when provided with opportunities to do so!

We also do not teach the alphabet letters in order but rather in a way that scaffolds their printing skills. We use a technique created by Alberta Health Services that provides students with an effective way of learning to print letters correctly while learning their sounds simultaneously. These approaches equip your child with the skills needed to ensure educational success when entering school.

Reading & Writing

In order to help children understand letter-sound relationships, we begin modeling reading and writing on the first day. Our morning message is one way we invite students to see, hear and touch letters which create words. By creating a repetitive morning message, students come into the classroom excited to read the message of the day. It becomes a familiar routine which gives them confidence in their learning abilities. The morning message is used to show directionality of print, highlight the letter of the day, review previously learned letter sounds, introduce students to high frequency words, introduce punctuation, as well as differentiate between a letter, a word, and a sentence. It is possible for your child to read the morning message independently by the end of the month. What an accomplishment!

Customized Education

At JumpStart, we work to ensure your child receives customized education to his/her developmental level. We begin this process with an initial assessment. The information from this assessment is used to create a personalized plan for your child. By providing the skills necessary for your child to succeed in Kindergarten, you do not have to worry about your child falling behind. This will provide opportunities for your child to feel confident in his/her learning abilities, paving the way to a successful educational journey. Get the best start with JumpStart!

The JumpStart Curriculum

All our locations implement the proprietary JumpStart curriculum. All our Educator’s follow proven and research based lesson plans and add their own unique teaching style

Curriculum Overview

Through the use of themes and engaging activities, each child will develop at his/her own pace. For some children this may be a natural progression, for others the skills may take additional time and practice. At JumpStart, language, literacy and communication skills are embedded into all of a child’s daily experiences. The following areas are covered in JumpStart’s curriculum.

Personal and Social Responsibility

Children will have opportunities to learn to work and play both independently and with others, make friends, learn about feelings, follow directions, wait his/her turn and be responsible. They will also learn about classroom rules and how to care for toys/materials. Children will be encouraged to express ideas, develop vocabulary and communicate feelings and emotions.

Writing Skills

Children will learn how to print first names and have exposure to proper letter formation and directionality. Expressing ideas through pictures and writing will be modelled. By the end of the year some children may be able to spell some high frequency words (i.e. the, play) or short vowel words (i.e. cat, red).

Math Skills

Introductory math concepts will include counting, using one-to-one correspondence to count 10 or more objects, number recognition, classifying objects according to attribute, identifying and naming basic shapes. These skills will be explored through creative and meaningful activities.

Fine/Gross Motor Skills

Fine motor skill areas that are emphasized include copying simple shapes, using paintbrushes, cutting with safety scissors, assembling puzzles, coloring and drawing pictures. Gross motor skill areas include running, jumping, catching, bouncing, throwing a ball, and exhibiting stamina during physical activity.

Creative Expression

Children will express themselves through music, drama and art activities by engaging in action songs, art activities, and telling stories using props and their imagination.

Reading Readiness

Letter names and sounds will be introduced and explored. Children will listen to various types of literature, re-tell and re-enact stories, read, sing and recite songs/poems. The children will also look at pictures and verbally create stories using details. Balanced Literacy, Jolly Phonics, and Alphabet Action programs will be used in the classroom. By the end of the school year, each child may be able to identify his/her name in print, as well as names of classmates, and identify many upper and lowercase letters, especially as they pertain to children’s names. Some children may also be able to sound out short vowel words and read high frequency words (i.e. the, and, to)

Celebrations/Cultural Diversity

Birthdays are a very special celebration for young students and we will set aside some class time to celebrate with each student on their special day. We also embrace diversity and believe it is important for students to be aware of similarities and differences between families. To support this we will celebrate holidays throughout the year (i.e. Chinese New Year, Diwali, Christmas).

Child Age	Program
1	Not eligible for the Jumpstart Program
2/3	Jumpstart Discovery Program (Parented Class)
3/4	Jumpstart Prep Program*
4/5	Jumpstart Scholars Program*
5/6	Jumpstart Kinder Program
6+	Jumpstart Afterschool Learning Program

Child Age

Program

Not eligible for the Jumpstart Program

2/3

Jumpstart Discovery Program (Parented Class)

3/4

Jumpstart Prep Program*

4/5

Jumpstart Scholars Program*

5/6

Jumpstart Kinder Program

Jumpstart Afterschool Learning Program