If you are looking for a class for your 12 month to 6 year old, read the comment below about Marilyn Levin and her R.E.A.D. program. You may have found your class! Plus, she is giving one lucky Macaroni Kid reader an entire Fall session free - see details that follow.
Testimonial from Aya Goto, mother of Bastien:
My son has been attending Ms. Marilyn's classes since he was 20 months old - he is now about to turn 4. I think of READ as a place for him not simply to learn the mechanics of reading as an end in itself but as a tool by which to explore the world. The imagination, creativity, attention to detail, whimsy, and sheer joy that goes into the construction of each of Ms. Marilyn's classes is mind-boggling, and I sincerely doubt that any preschool in town comes even close.
Each session is built around a particular theme - the sea, Mardi Gras, family, night, etc. - which is carried through the songs, books, art project, costumed play acting of that day... even the snack and the contents of the water table! She does all of the things you wish you had the time to do in a perfect world. In the older classes, the kids even learn cooking, math, and computer skills.
I feel that by instilling wonder and urging her students at a very young age to think across disciplines in themes, she teaches them curiosity and the habit of making connections - in short, how to be an intellectual and take delight in the world. All of that aside, this is the most fun extracurricular in town. Kids adore it because Ms. Marilyn thinks like a kid, has a great sense of suspense and the thrill, and you can count on her to dress up in a full-length bunny costume at least once a year. Also, if you want your child to know all of the traditional nursery rhymes and fairy tales (which to me is quite important, as I learned them as a child growing up in London), this is the place to do it.
Under Ms. Marilyn's tutelage, my son has learned how to sound out words, use an iPad, sit still in a circle, make meatballs and crack eggs, has acted out everything from Little Jack Horner to Rumpelstiltskin, and played with homemade play-doh scented according to the season. READ is a microcosm of the most idyllic childhood in an hour and a half and, I believe, a wonderful gift for a child.
As my son once said: Miss Marilyn ROCKS!!!
How to Enter to win a Fall session of classes:
•ONLY ENTER ONCE! You must be new to R.E.A.D. to enter. Meaning, if you have already taken a R.E.A.D. class, you are not eligible to win.
•Make sure you are a subscriber to our FREE weekly e-newsletter.
•Like us on Facebook.
•Leave a comment below.
Deadline to enter is Wednesday, August 24 at 9PM. Winner is chosen using www.random.org and announced on the website on Thursday, August 25th.
