Our Curriculum

Our teachers are empowered to creatively adapt their lessons to keep students interested and fully engaged. If one class shows an interest in dinosaurs, for example, their teacher will seek out innovative ways to incorporate dinosaurs into her lesson plans. This customized approach helps students stay motivated, and inspires a love of learning while also improving comprehension and retention.

While students learn the same skills as their peers, teachers find ways to challenge those who are more advanced while supporting those who may need additional help. All activities are purposeful and targeted towards the development of the individual child.

We believe even the youngest learners can be exposed to more challenging ideas and concepts in fun ways that stretch learning capacity. Our Creative Curriculum soars beyond letters and numbers. We focus on building basic skills while also exposing young children to more challenging concepts in exciting, age-appropriate ways that they can understand.

From building literacy skills, to learning math and science, to strengthening sensory, gross and fine motor skills, our Creative Curriculum brings learning to life through hands-on experiences. Each classroom has a sensory table, and every activity is hands-on and age-appropriate. For example, a child working to improve literacy and sensory skills may participate in tracing letters in shaving cream. In the toddler classroom, children may be playing with bubble wrap, a great sensory activity for both touch and hearing. Meanwhile, children in the 4’s classroom may be making slime, a favorite sensory activity!

In many preschools and daycare centers, science and math activities may be hard to find. Children at Cranfield Academy are exposed to math and science through interactive learning activities which also improve literacy. To introduce new science concepts, teachers create exciting science experiments. They often teach chemical reactions by building exploding volcanoes with vinegar and baking soda, or putting a penny in three different solutions to see which one cleans the best. Children put carnations in colored water and watch them change color as they soak up the food coloring. Teachers even teach photosynthesis by using a window garden, so the children can see plants grow over time. To build math skills, children may participate in a taste test, where each child samples a different type of apple. Then the children cast votes on which they like the best. The votes are counted, and the results are shared with the class on how many votes each apple received.

Inspiring children to enjoy and appreciate music is an important part of childhood development. Included in each child’s tuition, we offer a dynamic music program taught by Mr. MusicMan Company once a week, delivering high energy music lessons. Not only is music good for a child’s social and cognitive health, but Mr. MusicMan also focuses on developing the child’s gross and fine motor skills.

We also include a theater and acting program in our tuition taught by the talented Shining Stars Charlotte team. The program focuses on building children’s confidence and improving communication skills through creative play and drama-based games. Children participate in three plays throughout the year, including well-known theatrical productions like The Three Little Pigs.

Our Spanish program, also included in our tuition, is taught by a native speaker with over 13 years of early childhood experience. Through interactive Spanish lessons that involve fun games, traditional songs and stories, children develop better critical thinking, memory, and literacy skills, as well as cultural awareness and multi-tasking abilities.

At Cranfield Academy, we believe in nurturing the whole child to develop cognitive, social, emotional, and physical abilities. Character education is just as much a part of our curriculum as other academic subjects like math and science. In our classroom for two-year-olds, for example, we teach how to use language to express feelings. Children begin to grasp how to handle social conflict peacefully. In the preschool classroom, we go a step further by asking children “How does that make you feel?” or “How do you think that made him/her feel?” Teaching empathy and compassion at a young age helps build responsible, caring citizens and future leaders.

Healthy, happy children are more likely to thrive academically and socially. That is why we have a full service, professional kitchen with a private chef on campus, providing healthy, child-friendly breakfasts, lunches and snacks prepared on site. Children have many opportunities to explore our gracious playground with meandering paths, shaded play areas and fun water play activities. We also offer two optional fitness enrichment opportunities which parents have the option to add: Soccer Shots and GymTastics. Soccer Shots is an exciting children’s soccer program that focuses on character development and skill building. GymTastics offers a mix of sports, fitness, and gymnastics to boost energy and attention levels while strengthening the physical development of each child.

When you visit Cranfield Academy, we believe that you will clearly see what makes us so unique. Please contact us to schedule your private tour today!