In our Discovery Room children begin to discover the concept of “mine.” They think that everything belongs to them and only them. With that concept in mind we equipped our classroom with “multiple” developmentally appropriate materials so that every child will have an opportunity to play with an item that looks like or similar to what another child is playing with. The materials that are incorporated into our program promote early learning. Our toddler room teachers will assist your child in developing their cognitive, physical, social and emotional skills through various age appropriate activities. Our activities are but are not limited to: reading, singing, dancing, puppet play, arts and crafts, small and large group activities and so much more!

In our Two-Year-Old Adventure Classroom we have found that children’s different personalities and skills definitely shine through. They begin to demonstrate new achievements and abilities such as talking in sentences, beginning and understanding rules, running, jumping, climbing, naming, categorizing, dressing themselves, making connections, discovering relationships, and parents all time favorite, showing an interest in toilet training. Two-year olds exert their independence all on their own.

Potty Training
Children learn best by repetition and routine. We take our students to the restroom at least every 30 minutes to an hour. In the evenings as well as on the weekends we ask that parents follow our same potty routine. If we work together, we can have your child fully potty trained within 2- 4 weeks. Our motto for our class is our children learn by doing, they learn by observing, and they learn by engaging.

Our primary objective for our Exploratory classroom and 5K Prep classroom is to provide exciting classes specifically tailored to engage children in an array of activities that focuses on developmentally appropriate experiences in Cognitive, Communication, Social, Physical and Emotional Development, Approaches to Learning, Health, Language Arts, Literacy, and Mathematics as well as creative expression through in-depth classroom and community projects. Another important aspect is the program’s ability to adapt to the unique needs and pace of each child, allowing some children to move through lessons quickly while others might require extra practice and are given more instruction.

Our program is designed to assist children with being prepared to succeed as they enter kindergarten.

Reading Program Initiative
In our Exploratory Reading Program (3-4 year old children) the area of focus includes reading, phonics, writing, and letter recognition! We reinforce the letters of the alphabet and their sounds through games, songs, stories, and exciting hands on activities.

In our 5K Prep Reading Program (4-5 year old children), children develop the essential reading readiness skills and habits that lead to fluent reading, and strong comprehension that is needed to learn to read successfully. We want to inspire children to become excited about learning to read, and our program will lay the foundation for a strong start in reading and school.

Your child will:
• Learn beginning phonics and reading readiness skills
• Build comprehension
• Develop a love of books and reading

What to expect:
Homework will be given out on a weekly basis. Please assist your child with completing their assignments and do not do the homework for your child.

In our Exploratory Reading Program (3-4 year old children) the area of focus includes reading, phonics, writing, and letter recognition! We reinforce the letters of the alphabet and their sounds through games, songs, stories, and exciting hands on activities.

In our 5K Prep Reading Program (4-5 year old children), children develop the essential reading readiness skills and habits that lead to fluent reading, and strong comprehension that is needed to learn to read successfully. We want to inspire children to become excited about learning to read, and our program will lay the foundation for a strong start in reading and school.

Your child will:
• Learn beginning phonics and reading readiness skills
• Build comprehension
• Develop a love of books and reading

We have incorporated the Dick and Jane reading series into our program. Dick and Jane books were used to assist children during the 1930’s through the 1970’s with mastering learning how to read in the United States.

Small Impressions Child Development Center’s Cultivating Minds Program is an after school and summer program for students in kindergarten (K5) to eighth grade. The purpose of the Cultivating Minds Program is to extend a student’s learning opportunities beyond the confines of a classroom. The Cultivating Minds Program involves mentoring students, attending cultural events, volunteering, taking college tours, promoting STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics), encouraging health nutrition and fitness, providing workshops on financial literacy and entrepreneurship, supporting mental health counseling, training to build self-efficacy in students, and individualized tutoring to improve reading fluency and comprehension.

Student achievement is our top priority. Students receive homework and tutorial assistance as well as assistance with preparing for test, quizzes, and projects. All students’ folders are reviewed daily for homework assignments, upcoming projects, behavior charts and graded work. Copies are made of all students’ quarterly progress reports and report cards and placed in their file. Cultivating Minds staff conduct school visits and call teachers about student behavior, grades, and/or homework assignments. Staff also attend IEP meetings to support parents and serve as advocates on behalf of the student.

We offer a curriculum that differentiates instruction to include unlimited opportunities for self-expression and opportunities for pursuing higher education or a trade.

Mission and Vision
Cultivating Minds is transforming afterschool learning by providing children with resources and experiences to have a greater leverage to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. Through our efforts, our children will be prepared to succeed well beyond their school age years. We are bridging the gap of the socioeconomic divide and leveling the educational playing field for our children so that they may shift from an “I think I can” to “I know I can” mindset.

We exceed the expectations of traditional child care providers. We pride ourselves on taking an extra step with our students as it relates to education. Small Impressions staff wants all of our children to view education as fun but also as something that is an honor and a privilege to have. “We are not Just Learning for Now; We are Learning for Life!” is a slogan that we firmly believe in and stand on. It is our hopes that all children that we serve excel and succeed.

We are very excited and have really placed a great emphasis on our summer camp. Our summer camp is filled with academics and enrichment activities. Each child will experience a variety of hands-on educational yet entertaining adventures each and every day.

Our summer camp will serve as a refresher course for your child. It will include some review of the educational materials covered during the academic school year. Research states that by continuing to stimulate children’s young minds, over the summer months, when school begins they will be better prepared and ready to learn.

Every day we will devote one to two hours to academics. Children also have access to a computer, where he/she will complete assignments through Greenville County School District’s Compass learning program. Enrichment activities and field trips are incorporated into the remainder of the day. We visit educational and fun places.

Our goal for our summer session is to arouse the interests of each child, create new and lasting friendships, and insure every child has a summer to remember!