EDUCATION: Academy prepares children for school

Kinder Prep emphasizes valuable skills

Many facilities fall under the category of day care designed for pre-kindergarten children, but Kinder Prep Academy, a new learning facility located at 5695 N. Rainbow Blvd. off Ann Road, is not a baby-sitting facility. The kids attending the newly opened business are there to learn invaluable skills before entering school.

Despite its open space, and many toys and paintings that grace the rooms of the immaculate building, playthings are used not only for kids to have fun with, but to allow them to learn about socialization, as well as education fundamentals, said owner/director Jennifer Srodes.

Srodes, a former teacher in the Clark County School District for five years who has a master's degree, is no stranger to the fact that many children enter the school system behind before their first class.

"We knew there would be a need for us here," Srodes said. "There's not a lot of space for children, particularly in this area."

Srodes hand-picked her staff of teachers and aides, some of whom also have been educators. This, she says, make the teaching process better and more informative because they know how students learn.

"We want these children to be prepared academically, socially and emotionally so they can be leaders in class when they go."

Srodes also said the emphasis at Kinder Prep Academy is on the individual child, rather than specific elements. She also recognizes that children learn and participate at different rates, so children who choose not to participate in activities right away are not forced to.

"We focus on the whole child," she said. "There are qualified teachers in the classroom that focus on the emotional well-being of the child, not just colors and numbers."

Kinder Prep Academy accepts all children ages 2-5, but they are separated according to what grade level they will enter into with the others in the group. This allows them to establish friendships with other kids who will be in their classes.

"We separate them by their academic age," Srodes said. "That way when they are finished here, half of a class isn't going to leave and move on to a public school and leave the others behind."

Children at Kinder Prep Academy spend most of the day participating in reading and learning activities that will prepare them for kindergarten, and they spend half an hour per day on the computer. They are fed breakfast, lunch, a snack, and even have nap time, but their objectives are those of mature students -- to get ready for kindergarten, which Srodes will be providing next fall. Students already enrolled at Kinder Prep Academy will have first choice enrollment in the next phase of their education.

"I believe I can provide a strong academic background for these children," said Srodes, who, in addition to doing the various administrative tasks associated with ownership, also actively participates in teaching.

"Everyone is adjusting very well," she said, while giving a tour of the facility and opening a door to a room filled with excited, eager children participating in a reading activity. "We have several new children in there this morning, but you can't even tell who they are."


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