My child has already taken your class in previous years or sessions, if they take it again will it be all the same thing?
We try not to repeat a lesson in the same location within a 3 year period. We have over 100 lessons to choose from currently and add more each week. Your child may see some of the same concepts or an experiment or two for reinforcement, but they would be within different lessons. Also, as your child matures, if they do see the same or similar experiment, they will get different things out of it.
My child has art and/or science in school, wouldn’t taking your Science Matters or Inspiration Matters class just be a repeat of what they already learn in school?
No, some of the concepts that they are taught in grade school might be the same, but by taking Science Matters For Kids™ they are able to experience it differently. Funding in the schools is lacking, so enough materials for each child to have a hands-on experience might not be available. In the Science Matters For Kids™ program not only does everyone have a hands-on experience, but they also take home materials that you can do with them at home! As for the Inspiration Matters For Kids™ class, it is not an art class per se. It is so much more. The students are inspired to create what they want, using the materials provided based on what is being used as the inspiration for the day.
This program sounds great, but you aren’t in any schools that my child attends, nor any locations near me. How can he/she take your class?
Contact us and we will work with you to get a program into your child’s school, or in the community center in your town. There is also an option of creating a neighborhood group in your house or a friends. With that, comes the added benefit of the host house child attending for free.
What are the materials that you send home after each class for Science Matters For Kids?
The materials that come home after each class allow you to work with your child to reinforce the concepts that they learned about in class. They are usually all familiar materials and sometimes you may need to supply a water bottle or two, but the goal of them is to allow your child to demonstrate what they learned in school through an exciting experiment that you can do together at home.
Should my child be able to answer every reinforcement question from the information sheet after he/she takes the class?
Absolutely not! Those questions are for you to prompt your child into a discussion about the class. If he/she can answer them without help from you, great! If not, you can use them to discuss what they did in class. This way, when you ask them, “Hey, what did you do in class today?” You can remind them if their answer is the usual, “I dunno.”
Will my child know every vocabulary word that they heard in class when they get home?
Nope, those are words that they heard in class. It doesn’t mean they were tested on them, or drilled into their heads. But, if they do come across that word again in their lives as they grow, they will be more familiar with it.
Why do you send an information sheet?
We send the information sheet to give you an idea of what your children do in their enrichment class. It is also a tool for you to use to prompt a discussion of some of the things they did that day.
What if I sign up for the year and my child doesn’t like it after the first month?
If you sign your child up for a year and after the first month they hate it, contact us and we will work with you to see what might be the problem and to work out a solution. I would also suggest if you are concerned about that to just sign up on a monthly basis to start.
What happens if my child is absent on the day of class?
Unfortunately, we can not offer make up classes for one child. Each class is different, so a make up class isn’t possible. If the class is held, but your child is absent, we cannot offer a refund. However, if we have to cancel a whole class due to weather or scheduling issues, we will make every effort to schedule a make up class. The information sheet and any materials that can be left, will be left for your child if he does not attend the class.
Is science, cooking or inspiration really necessary at the preschool level?
That’s like asking if playing ball, or running and jumping necessary at the preschool level. The brain is growing just like the body. The more you work it, the stronger it becomes. Introducing students to these enrichment programs at the preschool level gives them a foundation for when they are taught more formally in the upper grades. It also opens their minds to start looking and questioning how and why things work the way they do. The scientific method is how we tackle most things including reading, math and even getting dressed in the morning.
How does your program compare in price to other enrichment programs?
Each enrichment program is different. Music, Spanish, Computers, Karate, we all teach your child the material, however, there are additional costs involved with a hands-on programs like these. All of the materials are an added expense that is built into the price. In science, each child also goes home with materials to continue their exploration and experimentation at home. In cooking they take home what they make and in the inspiration class, they go home with their creation. You don’t often get that with other enrichment programs.
Is there any registration fee?
We never charge a registration fee because we don’t believe in them. It seems silly to us to charge someone for the privilege of allowing them to sign up to take a class. You pay only for the classes for which you register.
How do I get discounts on tuition?
You can get discounts on tuition by referring a friend or another school. If you help get a new school on board with this program, your child will attend for free for one school year. If you refer a friend who signs up for at least 3 months, your child will get one month free. We also run specials during the course of the year for discounts when you sign up and pay for multiple months in advance.