New Business: Not your typical daycare —The Early Learning Garden opens
Spring certainly sprung for The Early Learning Garden, located at 101 Sandy Row. Marking the recent opening of a safe and clean environment for your children, The Early Learning Garden has since opened the doors to children of all ages.
“We’re a little different than most daycares. We aren’t just a babysitting service, we’re committed to getting kids ready for school,” operator and owner Adriana McDaniel said. “Kids are separated into their respective age groups, we have the ‘Weeping Willows’ which are the infants, the ‘Prickly Pears’ who are in their terrible two’s, the ‘Toadstools’ are 3-5 years old, and then the ‘Sunflowers’ who are already in elementary school.”
While the inclusivity of the Garden is certainly enticing, taking a deeper look at their curriculum brings yet another positive aspect to their services. “Starting all the way at the beginning we teach sign language, the younger kids primarily focus on things they need so they can better communicate what they want while they are unable to speak, and the older kids learn the alphabet to improve cognitive function,” McDaniel said.
Another major learning focus pertains to everyday life, beyond school and their childhood, into their adult lives, “One of the biggest things we teach is respect. In life, not everyone likes everyone, and that’s fine. People are bound to clash at some time, to expect these kids to get along with everyone all the time is unrealistic. Not everyone has to get along, but we have to treat each other with respect, that is the most important thing that we teach,” McDaniel expressed.
Following the grand opening, The Early Learning Garden has accepted children of all ages and developmental stages, hoping to take away some of the stress that comes along with preparing a child for life in school. For more information, call 307-373-2015.