Welcome to Nixa Early Childhood
"Where Little Eagles Learn to Soar"
Nixa Early Childhood is dedicated to delivering high-quality and developmentally appropriate preschool education for children aged three, four, and five. The Early Childhood Program is housed in two different buildings located on one campus. The original preschool is the Peggy L. Taylor Early Learning Center. We call it the ELC. In 2014, the program expanded, and the Early Childhood Center was built. We call it the ECC.
Our classroom instruction and assessments align with the Missouri Early Learning Standards and Individualized Education Program Goals. The program integrates diverse research-based curricula, including Project Construct, Ready Bodies Learning Minds Motor Lab, Conscious Discipline Social-Emotional Curriculum, and Heggerty Phonics Curriculum.
Nixa Early Childhood provides a selection of four distinct classes.
Tuition Classes: Within the Peggy L. Taylor Early Learning Center, there are five classrooms available on a tuition basis. Tuition classes are filled on a first-come-first-serve basis in the order families get on the interest list. The interest list opens on January 15th. Class placement occurs in the spring.
Title I Preschool: The Peggy L. Taylor Early Learning Center accommodates two Title I preschool classes, one federally funded and the other district-funded. These classes cater to children aged 3-5 who meet qualifying criteria, with eligibility determined through a screening process.
Childhood Special Education (ECSE): Assessment is conducted across cognitive/adaptive, speech, language, physical, and social/emotional domains to determine eligibility. If children meet the criteria, educational services are tailored to individual needs. Services a child may be eligible for include occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and/or language therapy, and interventions led by a certified early childhood special education teacher. There are currently six ECSE classrooms.
Peer Model Program: The Early Childhood Center hosts the Peer Model Program, which is a component of the Early Childhood Special Education program designed for preschool children with disabilities. The Peer Model Program offers typically developing children the chance to engage with same-age peers undergoing specialized instruction in a preschool classroom tailored to their developmental needs. Peer model students play a crucial role as positive influences, showcasing desirable peer interactions, demonstrating play skills, and modeling appropriate language and behavior. Eligibility for the Peer Model Program is determined through the screening process based on individual program needs. Peer models can constitute up to 50% of the population in an ECSE classroom.
Parents as Teachers: The Early Childhood Center houses Parents as Teachers. Parents as Teachers work alongside families with children from birth through five years of age by providing research-based information, support, and encouragement to help families develop their child's full potential. An essential piece of the program is periodically monitoring a child's development. This becomes the foundation of educational guidance to parents. A review with each participating family of their child's progressive developmental profile significantly reduces the possibility that a child will go through the preschool years with undetected developmental delays. Skills and abilities are developing rapidly during this time. Many developmental delays can be treated effectively and efficiently if detected early; it is essential they be identified as early as possible. Also, the recurrent monitoring and review can signify to parents that their child is progressing at a normal or advanced rate of development and can also give direction on how to support and encourage continued growth.
TUITION CLASSES AND COST: