Ivybrook Academy Ivybrook Academy

The Ivybrook Way

Bright Futures Begin at Our Private Preschool

For over 15 years, Ivybrook Academy and our team of dedicated educators have been providing children with a strong foundation for a lifetime of learning. We take an innovative approach to early childhood education at our half-day preschool that encourages critical thinking, awards creativity, and fosters a love for learning. Our school was founded to address the growing need for preschools that value, celebrate, and nurture children’s natural curiosity. Research has proven how crucial early childhood education is to their cognitive development and we provide the tools, encouragement, and environment to help them thrive today and long into the future.

Our Philosophy

Ivybrook believes that children’s voices must be heard, and that when their ideas are honored, they will take a more active role in their learning. The best way to achieve this is through a discovery-based, multi-sensory approach to early childhood education. Our Preschool works alongside our students as they explore their interests, learn how to ask questions, find answers, and share their discoveries with their peers.

Ivybrook forges strong partnerships between families and educators and creates ideal early learning environments where children can explore, create, solve problems, and work collaboratively with one another. Children are born with a natural curiosity about the world, and we help them develop their understanding of their surroundings through meaningful social interaction and reflection with their peers and adults.

Our Curriculum

Ivybrook Academy provides a hybrid curriculum that takes an innovative approach to early learning while also drawing from three different educational approaches: Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. These educational philosophies help our half-day preschool build a solid foundation for children during their early learning years.

Family Testimonials

Enriching Your Child’s Foundation

  • The Khimji Family
    "The faculty is like family and ever so helpful for any question or concern along the way. There was never a doubt in our minds when we entrusted the school with our most valuable assets, our children." - The Khimji Family
  • "We cannot say enough amazing things about this academy. Our daughter started Ivybrook during it's first year and they way it was ran and how organized their processes were, you would have no idea it was their first year open. We found some amazing teachers at Ivybrook. With their love for teaching and children our daughter grew so much in 1 year and left with wonderful memories she continues to talk to us about. We really enjoyed the community and how involved parents could be; PTA, volunteer in the class when needed and family events. I am forever grateful for this place and look forward to our younger daughters attending in the future." - The Brammer Family
  • "Our daughter attends Ivybrook Academy. Our hearts are so full knowing she is being poured into each day by a family of teachers/staff who genuinely want our little one to get all she can out of these formative preschool years (making friends, thriving away from mommy and daddy, keeping her safe, helping her learn while showing her all she’s already capable of) It’s been such a blessing to our family!" - -The Whitney Family
  • The King Family
    "We truly feel like family. From the warm greetings to the compassion, we have always felt welcome and embraced. This is truly a special place and one that we are proud to be a part of." - The King Family
  • The Parker Family
    "It is an honor and a privilege for our family to attend Ivybrook Academy. It was clearly the best choice for our daughter 3 years ago and has continued to serve our family as the best private preschool possible." - The Parker Family

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Teacher working with students
Student

Montessori

This highly respected technique has been used for over 100 years and allows children to take the lead in their learning. Developed by Italian physician Dr. Maria Montessori, who recognized that children have innate preferences, this approach helps children embrace their natural curiosity through the discovery of the world around them.

This curriculum consists of hands-on projects and allows children to foster independence or collaboration alongside others. With the guidance of teachers, they take the lead, work at their own pace, and work towards meeting their individual goals.

Reggio Emilia

Similar to Montessori, this approach also allows children to progress at their own pace in student-led classrooms. This style is more collaborative and invites students as well as their families and teachers to collectively be a part of a child’s education. The foundation of this innovative method is peer interaction, celebrating their uniqueness, and respecting their voices.

This approach was founded by Loris Malaguzzi, who believed that children communicate using “a hundred languages”, including writing, singing, and art. With this approach, our educators encourage children to express themselves and explore the world in a variety of ways, including music, painting, storytelling, theater, and more. Part of the Reggio approach also involves bringing nature inside the classroom and creating a home away from home.

The Theory of Multiple Intelligences

This educational approach was researched by Dr. Howard Gardner, a Harvard University professor. A relatively new approach that was published in 1983, its foundation is that intelligence comes in many different forms, and since everyone’s mind is different, everyone will learn, perform, remember, and comprehend differently. By adapting the curriculum to a child’s specific needs, they will best be positioned to learn and thrive.

The Theory of Multiple Intelligences disproves the “one size fits all” mentality and shows how children can excel and struggle in different subjects and skills.

Discovery Program

Our Preschool wants to provide children with as many opportunities as possible. Our Discovery Program offers hands-on, enrichment activities and classes that broaden our students’ experiences. These activities include:

  • Music & Movement – During these lessons, we immerse children in a rich sensory environment of sound and movement. We also create connections through improvisation of rhythm and tone.
  • Foreign Language – Recognizing the innate ability of language acquisition in young children, we focus on the development of auditory, visual, and conversational skills in a second language. We also expose them to elements of Spanish culture, including colloquial dance, dress, art, and architecture.
  • Creative Expression – Through the exploration of various artistic styles, mediums, and tools, we help children connect how and why works of art communicate visual meaning. We also examine major forms of artistic expression from the ancient world to the modern day.
  • Library – In these lessons, we instill the value of literature through exposure to various authors and genres, distinguishing connections between text and illustration. We also analyze literary components such as character, plot, conflict, and resolution.