FasTracKids New Years Celebration and Open House! January 11, 2007

Kick Off New Year with San Diego FasTracKids
Early Childhood Enrichment Place
New Years celebration with free activities for San Diego children and toddlers planned for Thurs., Jan. 11, 2007, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.


FasTracKids, San Diego Countys premiere enrichment education place, will host a New Year celebration to ring in the new year on Thurs., January 11, 2007 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at their Tierrasanta enrichment center located at 6020-B Santo Road. FasTracKids is a novel early-childhood enrichment place for children ages six months to eight years, where local education specialists lead fun, innovative and interactive activities to build communication and public speaking skills, and inspire children to love learning for the long term. The New Year event is designed as a community open house, where parents can bring their young children to play interactive games and activities; try the Learning Station, a technological smart board system designed for early childhood education; and to meet FasTracKids teachers and specialists, who have educational backgrounds and the passion to support the success of San Diegos youngest students in school. Food and a gift bag for children will be available while supplies last. Parents are required to accompany their children. For more information or to RSVP for the New Year celebration, please call 858-565-0054 or visit sdenrichmentplace.com.

While there are many academic and daycare programs available for K-12 students in San Diego County, FasTracKids is distinctly different. FasTracKids offers programs for infants, toddlers and young elementary age students and takes a proactive approach in cultivating learning and communication skills. Most children come to the Tierrasanta enrichment center once a week for approximately two hours per session. Scientific research shows that 90 percent of human brain development occurs during the first eight years of life. Children are born to learn, but there is a short timeframe in a childs development when the majority of the brains circuitry is wired. FasTracKids activities take advantage of this impressionable stage and aim to prepare children to learn future school subjects and life skills with accelerated ability, without placing limits on what children can and should learn. FasTracKids students are taught about astronomy, biology, science and other subjects previously not available to this age group such as communication, speech, ethics, drama and art. Fast-paced and challenging, the activities are designed to hold a young childs attention.

The FasTracKids program has a motto of Learning cleverly disguised as fun. Many parents make resolutions for themselves and their families in the New Year, says Deanna Freeman, center director, FasTracKids Tierrasanta. They look for new options to capture their childs attention as well as ensure their childs success in a home-school, charter or traditional classroom environment. The FasTracKids program just about guarantees children a strong foundation for an enjoyable pre-school and elementary experience. FasTracKids offer free trial classes so parents and kids can experience the program. It is so important for kids to have fun as they learn at FasTracKids, so we strive to provide a positive, open environment for learning, sharing and communicating. This directly contributes to learning new concepts because they are genuinely interested, not because they need to memorize them for a test, says Freeman.

The FasTracKids Core Enrichment Program combines technology, hands-on experimentation, live report presentations, discussions and role-playing. Classes have an ideal student-to-teacher ratio of 8:1. Students, ages three to eight years old, are encouraged to speak up, to speak clearly and to share what theyve learned and their ideas with their peers and their parents. Caregivers often witness a bright transformation of shy children who are now willing to express their thoughts and opinions, as well as the outgoing child who can clearly convey and focus conversation in an effective manner. Family and friends are amazed at the subjects that my daughter, Cheyenne, is studying and learning about, says Cheyennes mom. Cheyenne knows what spelunking is, what fossils are, and that she wants to be a paleontologist when she grows so that she can dig up t-rex. People are amazed that not only does she know about these things, but that she can even pronounce the words! Cheyenne begins kindergarten in Fall 2008.

FasTracKids also offers distinct classes for infants and toddlers. FasTrack Tots, for toddlers ages two to three years, is an age-appropriate version of the FasTracKids core enrichment program, and offers a low 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio. FasTrack Signing is designed for parents or caregivers and their hearing infants and toddlers, ages six to 24 months. The classes use play and song to teach little ones how to use their hands to communicate well before verbal skills are developed. Parents typically notice that the use of signs reduces temper tantrums and frustration. FasTrack Music is a fun and engaging way to introduce two to four year-olds to the creative world of music through storytelling, imaginative play and taking turns. Songs and rhymes develop phonetic awareness and early reading skills. Instrument play improves hand-eye coordination and strengthens fine motor skills.

ABOUT FASTRACKIDS

FasTracKids is an enrichment education center for infants, toddlers and young elementary school age children. Fast-paced and challenging, the activities are designed to hold a young childs attention to build communication and speaking skills, and inspire children to love learning. There are three FasTracKids locations in San Diego County: Encinitas, La Mesa and Tierrasanta, and coming soon to Carmel Valley. For more information, please visit sdenrichmentplace.com.

Event submitted by Eventful.com on behalf of lemonadepr.