|
Programs
Staff
Enrollment
What Parents Say
Success Story
FAQs
Newsletter
Resources
Your neighborhood preschool and childcare center!
 NOW
ENROLLING!
See your child happy!
Call today for a personal tour!
Contact
Kelly
King, Director, at
301.738.6424.
We are also now offering drop-in
care! Call for details.
 Our newly renovated 6,000 square foot facility is
located in
a quiet residential area on over a half acre of
shaded grassy play area. We offer a safe and nurturing environment
for your child with experienced and caring staff. The Early
Learning Center is located at the property formerly known as North Potomac
Children's Center, located at 14901 Dufief Mill Road in North
Potomac.
Although the Early Learning Center is affiliated with
TLC-The Treatment and Learning Centers, our programs are primarily for children that do not have special needs.
The
cornerstone of our Preschool Program is the
Creative Curriculum, designed to make learning fun, based on
the concept that "learning occurs through play."
CLICK HERE for Enrollment Forms
School Programs
| |
Our center ensures
developmentally appropriate space, equipment, and
curriculum. Parent-teacher conferences are offered twice a
year to families, and parents are encouraged to become
involved in all aspects of the center’s programs.
6 weeks to 23 months (1:3 teacher/child
ratio)
Infants in our program receive individualized
goals and planning for development in:
• Sensory awareness
• Visual perception and tracking
• Small and large muscle coordination
• Rhythm and imitation games
• Object manipulation
• Early childhood vocalization/verbalization
Two Year Olds (1:6 teacher/child ratio)
The goal of our Two’s Program is to continue the process of
discovering and exploring through:
• Large and small group activities
• Games which promote development of expressive and
receptive language
• Large and fine motor skills
• Social interaction with peers
Three Years to Kindergarten Entry (1:10
teacher/child ratio)
The Preschool Program provides a planned environment where
children are given freedom of choice within a daily routine.
Our program utilizes the “Creative Curriculum” whose
philosophy is based on the theory that children learn best
by doing. Our daily routine allows for:
• Large and small group activities
• Active and quiet time
• Directed and non-directed activities
• Daily involvement in “interest areas” of the child’s
choice
Field Trips
The children enjoy field trips during the year. Two’s and
Preschool Program children visit the pumpkin patch in
October and the National Zoo in May. Children in our
graduating class take a special trip to the Baltimore
Aquarium.
Summer Fun
Summer is celebrated with water play days and “Freaky
Fridays” when children enjoy different activities including
Backwards Day, Make-Your-Own Sundae Day, and Crazy Hair-Do
Day.
Other Programs
Stretch and Grow is a weekly gymnastics program offered to
children 2 and older. Each age group receives a half-hour
session of music, movement, and physical activities which
promote development. The center also provides a weekly music
program for children ages 2 and older.
|
(back to top)
Staff
| |
Teachers and teachers assistants meet all requirements
for licensing by the Maryland State Department of
Education, Office of Child Care Licensing and
Regulation. TLC provides ongoing continuing education
for all staff. All staff are
trained in first aid and CPR. At ELC, we are proud
of our staff retention. ELC has 23 staff members.
Half have been working at the center for more than 4
years! Director Kelly King, has been with the
center for over 10 years.
Kelly King, B.A.,
Director
Letitia Banks, Assistant Director
Classroom and Office Extensions:
The Little Rascals, ext. 117
The Cuddle Bugs, ext. 119
The Busy Bees, ext. 115
The Buttercups, ext. 114
The Hufflepuffs, ext. 112
The Gryffindors, ext. 113
The Road Runners, ext. 111
Director, ext. 146
Assistant Director, ext. 151
Lower level, ext. 110
|
(back to top)
Enrollment
Children are enrolled throughout the year
as space is available. The center has capacity for 90 children. Staff welcome and strongly
recommend a parent/child visit prior to enrollment. For additional
information and the availability of openings, please contact Kelly
or Letitia at 301.738.6424.
CLICK HERE for Enrollment
Forms |
|
|
back to top)
What Parents
Say
“Feeling of family that extends down from the
administration to the assistants. Love the new facility and the
playground. Very comfortable environment for everybody involved.
My daughter is very happy there.”
“The best part of the school is how my child has always felt
loved and cared for by her teachers. The school has done a great
job at hiring individuals who are very nurturing.”
“My child is completely at home, is always greeted by name and
is happy to be there.”
“I love the sincere care and love the teachers show towards my
child. We are able to form relationships which is important to
both my child and the parent. They communicate to me things my
child is doing which shows me they are really paying attention
to him and taking notice of his development”
(back to top)
Success Stories
|
|
|
David
Dear Ms King: It
is with both joy and sadness that we formally
announce David’s departure from the Early
Learning Center effective July 2, 2010. It is
hard to believe that David will be going to
Kindergarten in August. His readiness for school
is markedly due to the outstanding care and the
learning environment that is the definitive
hallmark of the ELC. Indeed it was the knowledge
and awareness of his teachers Kristi Vogan and
Kristen Marrs that alerted us to David’s issues
with sensory integration that was instrumental
in his ultimate diagnosis and occupational
therapy that enabled him to join his classmates
graduating to Kindergarten on time. Beyond that,
it has always been the outstanding ELC staff
that has allowed both David, and Christian
before him, to grow and thrive in an enriching,
supportive environment. While we are very
excited for David, we can’t help but be sad that
our time together is coming to an end.
We
wish you and the staff at TLC’s Early Learning
Center the best in the future and continued
success in providing a strong learning and
growing program for the kids in our community.
With Love and Gratitude.
Madison and Justin
Jennifer enrolled her two-year daughter Madison
at The Early Learning Center on the
recommendation of a neighbor, and has been very
pleased with the results. “Socially, it was
wonderful, and I also liked that they had
Spanish and music programs. Every day Madison
would come home sharing different things she had
learned, and I was just amazed.”
Jennifer also found the staff at ELC to be
wonderful, very helpful and friendly. She
credits center director Kelly King with
efficiently resolving any problem that came
along, a testament to TLC’s commitment to
providing the highest level of service we can
deliver. Families often end up enrolling more
than one child at ELC, and Madison’s little
brother Justin, now three, joined his big sister
there when he was just six weeks old. Jennifer
says he adores his teachers and knows his way
around the place: “He absolutely loves it there-
it’s a real lovefest!”
Madison graduated
from ELC in the spring of 2009 perfectly
prepared for kindergarten, and mom and dad
expect no less for Justin on his soon-to-come
big day.
Elisabeth
At a
very early age, Elisabeth's parents struggled to
find a child care program with a supportive and
positive environment for their daughter. By age
two, Elisabeth had attended two different
facilities, neither of which met the families
needs. Then Elisabeth's parents switched her to
TLC's Early Learning Center. An organization
that offers childcare programs for children aged
six weeks to five years, The Early Learning
Center is dedicated to helping children discover
that learning is fun by adhering to the belief
that learning occurs through play and that
learning is a form of play.
Elisabeths mother noticed the application of
this philosophy when she toured the Center for
the very first time.
It was quickly obvious that there was warmth
and love exuding from the teachers and
reciprocated by the children, she said. Today,
we are constantly amazed by the variety of
topics the children are introduce to from colors
and numbers to careers to holidays and then
around the world to ancient Egypt!
Elisabeth began in the Centers Teddy Bear
Room with children about her age. At first, she
acted timid and shy toward teachers and fellow
students; she seemed reluctant to play and
engage herself in activities. One of the major
triumphs her parents note is that now, at five
years old, after three years at The Early
Learning Center, Elisabeth's trepidation has
subsided.
She looks forward to her day, she proudly
shows us her artwork, and she tells us what she
has learned each day, says her mother.
At The Early Learning Center, Elisabeth grew
to be a more capable, intelligent, and social
child. Because of their daughters success,
Elisabeth's parents enrolled their son James in
the program as soon as he turned six weeks old.
Elisabeth and James attended The Early Learning
Center together until Elisabeth turned five and
was ready for grade school. Their parents are
proud of Elisabeth's progress and anticipate
similar feelings about James experience: We
look forward to another three years with the
wonderful and dedicated staff at The Early
Learning Center. |
(back to top)
Resources
Please click here to
return to TLC's Web Resource Library.
Links:
Articles and Factsheets:
-
A Guide to Your Child's Early Development-Birth to 2 Years,
TLC-The Treatment and Learning Centers
-
A Guide to Your Child's Early Development-2 to 6 Years,
TLC-The Treatment and Learning Centers
-
Building Blocks to Reading: Tips and Techniques for All Kinds of
Kids, Janice Jones, M.Ed.
-
Can Your Child Process Sensory Input? Sense and Sensibility, Mary
Way, OTD, OTR/L
-
Children with Learning Disabilities, American Academy of Child &
Adolescent Psychiatry
-
Learning to Listen, Amy Krull, CCC/SLP and Patricia Ritter,
Ph.D., CCC/SLP
-
Not Just Child's Play: Art Therapy's Amazing Impact, Laurie
Mowry-Hesler, MA, ATR-BC, MFT
-
Pages and Stages: Instilling the Love of Books, Janice Jones,
M.Ed.
-
Raising a Reader, Janice Jones, M.Ed.
|
Q: Whom does The Early Learning Center serve?
A: The Early Learning Center serves the typical
developing child 6 weeks through 5 years old.
The Early Learning Center is open Monday through
Friday 7:00am-6: 30pm. The center is open
all year long, and closed on most major
holidays.
Q: What is the philosophy of The Early
Learning Center?
A: Our philosophy is to provide
developmentally appropriate childcare in an
atmosphere of security and warmth with a range
of developmental opportunities including
individual attention to each childs strengths
and needs, and activities to promote physical,
social, emotional and cognitive development.
Our goal is provide a rich learning
environment where children can explore their
world, experience success, and develop
initiative and self-reliance in an environment
of trust and respect. Programs are designed to
make learning fun for each child.
Q: What qualifications does the staff
have?
A: Our staff meets all requirements set forth
by The Maryland State Department of Education,
Office of Child Care. All staff is certified in
First Aid and CPR and obtains a minimum of six
hours of continuing education credits per year.
Q: How do I enroll my child?
A: We highly encourage our families to
schedule a tour of the center prior to
enrollment. If space allows, we require a
two-week deposit upon enrollment. If we do
not have the space for new enrollments, your
name can be placed on our waiting list for a
small fee. |
(back to top) |
