Two Lil' Aggies having a fun time.
It is not surprising that he was impressed with the quality of the teaching and the behavior of the children in the Lil’ Aggies classroom. Jennifer Lovell, the Lil’ Aggie head teacher, loves working with children with special needs. Her enthusiasm for what she is doing is evident in the colorful learning environment she has created and the well-planned curriculum that she organizes for the three transition classes that are offered twice a week.
In these transition classrooms, the two-year old children are preparing to move on into the district community preschool classrooms when they turn three. The children work on many skills, such as following directions, following a routine, sitting quietly, and improving language and fine motor skills.
Another of the important skills that they are learning is how to socialize with their peers. They learn how to play together and get along, but they also learn new skills from watching other children who may be more verbal or physically active. Often, typically developing children from the community become part of the classroom for a short time. This is a great benefit to the Up to 3 children, as they provide a model for the transitioning children to follow as they begin to talk more, follow directions, and learn new concepts.
Enrollment for each class is limited to eight so that each child is provided the attention and learning experiences that they need. When the Up to 3 enrollment numbers are low, typically developing children from the community are welcomed into the class for a minimal fee.
“This is a huge plus for the children,” Jennifer said. She has seen the many benefits that come from having children who have stronger developmental skills than the Up to 3 children. One little girl completely opened up after a community child joined the group. They became best friends and her verbal skills increased significantly during the weeks that he was there.
Up to 3 is always looking for typically developing two-year olds in the community who would like to become a part of this exceptional transition classroom when there is room. If you are interested in enrolling your two-year old in the LiL’ Aggies classroom, you can contact Jennifer Lovell
.
