Our Baby Steps classroom accepts children starting at 6 weeks of age.

Daily schedules are posted inside and outside of the classroom, however in this room we realize that children will need to be accommodated based upon their needs. Children nap when they are sleepy, eat when they are hungry and play when they are awake.

We provide an enriching curriculum with art, music & movement, opportunities for gross motor development, story time and so much more! We love to do hand print and foot print art, enjoying the outdoors with nature walks and playground time, playing with sensory bottles and interacting with our teachers as they sing, read and play with us!

Toddler 1 is a transitional classroom. These children will start out as mobile infants and transition into young toddlers over the course of the year. To be enrolled in this classroom children must be at least 12 months old. These babies must be walking (or very close to it), able to feed themselves (pretty well) and ready to explore the world around them! There is an enrollment minimum of two days a week in this class.

We provide an enriching curriculum with art, music & movement, opportunities for gross motor development, story time and so much more! We love to do art projects, enjoy the outdoors with playground time, sing, dance, read stories in circle time, play with our friends, touch and explore new things at our sensory table and learn how to do things independently! We allow children in this classroom to get a sense of accomplishment by learning to do some things on their own, such as washing hands at the sink and helping the teachers pick up toys before transitions.

Toddler 2 is our older toddler classroom and children must be 2 years old to enroll with this group. The children in this room are definitely ready for some new challenges and opportunities to gain independence! There is an enrollment minimum of two days a week in this class.

We provide an enriching curriculum with art, music & movement, opportunities for gross motor development, story time and so much more! We love to do art projects, enjoy the outdoors with playground time, sing, dance, read stories in circle time, play with our friends, touch and explore new things at our sensory table and learn how to do things independently! We allow children in this classroom to get a sense of accomplishment by learning to do some things on our own, such as washing hands at the sink, unpacking and packing their lunchboxes and helping our teachers pick up toys before transitions.

Potty training occurs only when the children are developmentally ready and the parents are doing it at home as well. Consistency is the key! This classroom has a potty in it with a changing station, so it makes learning to go potty much easier.

PreK 1 is a 3 year old class. Children enrolled in this classroom must be three years old by the end of August. This classroom is about independence and structure! We require students in this room to attend a minimum of three days a week, however most of them attend four to five days per week.

We provide an enriching curriculum with focus on learning through play! We love to do art projects, develop our gross motor skills with playground time, touch and explore new things in our science center, practice fine motor skills by playing in the math & manipulatives center, learn manners and social interaction in the dramatic play area and so much more! We use circle time to learn about weather, calendar, alphabet, colors, different holidays and cultures, routine…the list goes on and on!

In preparation for PreK 2 & PreK 3 (kindergarten readiness classrooms) we want our students to continue practicing self-help skills. We work on daily routine, being responsible for our own things such as backpacks, lunch boxes, hanging up our jackets, going potty independently, washing our hands, asking for help when we need it and problem solving. We love to see the sparkle in our students eyes when they say “LOOK, I did it!!!”

Children in this classroom will learn structure, routine and independence by participating in circle time, helping clean up the toys they get out, helping pack and unpack their lunch boxes, washing hands and potty training once they are ready! Potty training occurs only when the children are developmentally ready and the parents are doing it at home as well. Consistency is the key! This classroom has a potty in it with a changing station, so it makes learning to go potty much easier.

PreK 2 is a Pre-Kindergarten class. Students must be 4 years old by August 15th in accordance with the Kindergarten guidelines of the state of Tennessee. Some exceptions may be considered if a 3 year old with a fall birthday (turning 4 shortly after school starts) shows the physical, emotional and cognitive maturity to handle the challenges of this classroom. These special placements are based on recommendations of the First Steps teaching staff.

Teachers would love to have your child enrolled for as many days as possible. The more days students attend the more chances they have to develop skills which teachers can then build on throughout the school year. There is a four-day minimum in the room. Teachers have found students perform better if the days are not consecutive. This way students experience the introduction as well as a conclusion to each theme.

This class is all about getting ready for Kindergarten. Teachers provide an enriching curriculum with focus on learning through play! Materials help build skills in:

• Math
• Science
• Fine Motor
• Gross Motor
• Language
• Computer Technology
• Art

Students will also participate in:

• Daily physical education focusing on gross motor skills.
• Outside play on First Steps newly resurfaced playground.
• Music and songs will be an integral part of the daily routine.
• On Thursdays students will participate in our Music and Movement program.

During Group Time students will focus on:

• Calendar and Holidays
• Different Types of Weather
• Seasons
• Social Studies and the World around us
• How letters sound and how to write them using the Handwriting without Tears method (used by most schools in the local area)
• Number recognition and counting
• Recognizing and using shapes in everyday life.

Teachers help students build self confidence, independence, problem solving skills and conflict resolution by using the positive character qualities of: responsibility, initiative, patience, courage, respect, friendship, and cooperation.

PreK 3 is a Pre-Kindergarten class. Students must be 4 years old by August 15th in accordance with the Kindergarten guidelines of the state of Tennessee. We will also accept children in this class who are kindergarten eligible (already 5), but parents wish to hold them for an extra year of preschool.

Teachers would love to have your child enrolled for as many days as possible. The more days students attend the more chances they have to develop skills which teachers can then build on throughout the school year. There is a 3-day per week minimum in the room. Teachers have found students perform better if the days are not consecutive. This way students experience the introduction as well as a conclusion to each theme.

This class is all about getting ready for Kindergarten. Teachers provide an enriching curriculum with focus on learning through play! Materials help build skills in:

• Math
• Science
• Fine Motor
• Gross Motor
• Language
• Computer Technology
• Art

Students will also participate in:

• Daily physical education focusing on gross motor skills.
• Outside play on First Steps newly resurfaced playground.
• Music and songs will be an integral part of the daily routine.
• On Thursdays students will participate in our Music and Movement program.

During Group Time students will focus on:

• Calendar and Holidays
• Different Types of Weather
• Seasons
• Social Studies and the World around us
• How letters sound and how to write them using the Handwriting without Tears method (used by most schools in the local area)
• Number recognition and counting
• Recognizing and using shapes in everyday life.

Teachers help students build self confidence, independence, problem solving skills and conflict resolution by using the positive character qualities of: responsibility, initiative, patience, courage, respect, friendship, and cooperation.