What Early Childhood Program Fits Your Child's Needs?
Getting ready for Kindergarten can be a load of fun.
Several early childhood programs are housed at Holland's Early Childhood Center at Maplewood. Each program lays the academic and social foundation that will help students be successful at school.
Following is a short summary of the programs.
Young 5’s
Young 5’s is designed for children who can benefit from an extra year of preschool and time to mature socially and emotionally before starting formal Kindergarten. These children often are born later in the calendar year, from August to December, and would otherwise be younger than classmates in their grade. Children who are learning English, or expanding their vocabularies with academic English, can benefit greatly from the program.
Age requirement for Young 5's is the same as kindergarten: Five years old by Dec. 1. The program is open to residents of the Holland Public Schools district, although others may apply to attend through the Schools of Choice prrogram. Students attend half days (8:30 to 11:37 a.m.) Monday through Friday. Busing is available to students who live more than 1.25 miles from Maplewood. There's no charge for the program.
Focus of the curriculum is language development through ZooPhonics, a successful curriculum that prepares children to become readers and writers. The program also builds early math skills, science, writing and other fine motor skills, and physical and motor development.
The program also builds good social behaviors that helps students be responsible and respectful learners and friends.
For more information, call Maplewood at 494-2650.
Great Start Readiness Program
The Great Start Readiness Program is a free preschool program funded by the Michigan State Department of Education for four-year-olds who are from low-income families or who have identified risks for academic difficulties.
GSRP runs half-days Monday through Thursday for 30 weeks from the end of October through the third week of May. Children attend either mornings from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. or 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Transportation is not provided.
To be eligible, children must be four years old by Dec. 1, live in the Holland Public Schools district, and meet some of the risk factors that can be explained by calling Maplewood at 494-2650.
The program is based on the belief that children learn best when there is a planned, multi-cultural, developmentally age-appropriate curriculum; qualified teaching staff; strong relationships between home, school and community; and opportunities for parents to participate.
Holland Public Schools' GSRP program uses the Harcourt Pre-K curriculum for literacy and math. ZooPhonics is a popular and successful phonics program used to teach children letter names and sounds.
A typical daily schedule for a GRSP classroom includes: welcome time; circle or large group instruction with reading, calendar, music and movement; small group time with teacher-directed literacy and math lessons; free choice time; outdoor time; snack time and getting ready for home time.
Early Childhood Special Education
Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) is a state- and federal-funded program that provides occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and social work services for children between the ages of 3 and 5 years who have been diagnosed with a special need.
Hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:30 to 11:37 a.m., and 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Eligibility is determined by a multi-disciplinary team of Holland Public Schools professionals. Children are also deemed eligible for the program if they already have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) from another school district.
Maplewood also houses a classroom for preschool children who have been diagnosed as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). That program meets Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Parents who have questions about their child’s development should call Maplewood at 494-2650.
