While most people who walk through our bright red doors immediately notice our beautiful classroom storefronts, cobblestone streets, and life-sized oak tree, Kids Village is most well known for our award-winning curriculum.
Kids Village has won dozens of awards, including over multiple Best of State awards, including Best Private Preschool and Best Early Childhood Educator in Utah; Top 3 Best Preschools in Utah by Utah Valley 360; and Best Private School in Utah Valley by the Daily Herald, among others.
What sets Kids Village apart from other preschools in the area?
About Kids Village Curriculum
Kids Village uses a combination of Saxon Early Learning curriculum and our proprietary 5-senses approach to learning to create a hands-on learning environment that allows each child to excel academically and in a wide range of life skills “`while developing a genuine passion for learning.
Saxon curriculum, which has been one of the top three rated math and phonics programs in the nation for over 30 years, is designed to incrementally build learning. New concepts are introduced in small steps, building upon previously learned information and constantly reviewing both new and old material. This method of learning not only helps to create a solid foundation upon which to build new ideas, but also establishes stronger connections between existing knowledge and new knowledge, making information easier to understand, recall, and apply.
We believe that education is only effective if it can be retained, connected to other concepts, and applied in problem-solving situations. We also believe in a goal of long-term mastery and application of the concepts we teach so they will make a difference not only in short-term testing, but also in students’ long-term future in education and careers.
The curriculum we’ve chosen for our reading, math, and early learning programs is one of the most effective curriculum in the nation because it teaches concepts in small, approachable progressions. The concepts build upon complexity while utilizing cumulative practice that reviews not only the most recent lessons, but also lessons learned earlier in the year. This ensures students retain all concepts and can make connections between them.
Independent research, longitudinal studies, and field-testing provide clear evidence that Saxon Math™ shows immediate, dramatic, and sustained improvement for all students.
5 Senses Learning
Along with the Saxon philosophy, each of our lessons is taught using the Kids Village 5 Senses teaching method that utilizes all 5 senses in a hands-on setting. This allows each child to learn in his or her own way and exposes them to the curriculum in multiple forms to create more connections between the new material and the world around them. This style of learning also helps to foster genuine curiosity, which translates into a passion for learning.
Every day, Kids Village students are led through a series of lessons, experiments, and workshops that are carefully sequenced to incrementally build upon previous skills and concepts. Combining new discoveries with thoughtful review of previously learned information helps students retain knowledge by correlating new ideas to previous lessons. This organization of information helps to create stronger and more successful application and long-term recall.
Each of our educators uses all five senses in their lessons, giving each student the opportunity to learn in his or her own way while utilizing multiple senses to “record” the information. Research shows that by learning a new concept or skill in multiple senses, students establish a stronger link between new information and the world in which they live. This makes new skills and information more retainable and better applicable to students’ day-to-day lives.
For instance, when children read the story of the Little Red Hen, they are then given the opportunity to experience what the Red Hen experienced by feeling the golden wheat, grinding it into flour, and using their flour to make delicious homemade bread that they can share with their families. During this process, they are also learning that preparation, hard work, and cooperation lead to positive rewards. It is this approach to education that truly sets us apart.
The combination of these two teaching methods has made Kids Village a powerhouse in the education industry, producing students who embark on their subsequent educational endeavors grade levels ahead of their peers.
Final Thoughts
We love reading reviews from Kids Village parents about their child’s progress through school. “Our son Dylan, now in 7th grade, attended Kids Village from Sweet Peas (age 3-4) through 2nd grade and had the best friends, teachers and education a parent could ever want. It wasn’t until we moved to another great school that it really showed how exceptional of an educational head start he was given at Kids Village. The following three years he was at the top of his reading and math programs and won his class spelling bee every year and advanced several rounds in his school’s spelling bee against 8th grade students. Every year I contact Ann and Kathy to thank them for the love, support and gentle teaching that gave him this tremendous foundation.” K. Swallow
Do you have questions about our curriculum, or would you like an opportunity to see our learning platform in action? Call to speak with our Education Director, or schedule a tour today.
This article was originally published in 2016 and was updated in February 2024 for information, relevance, and accuracy.
