What makes us better than the competition?

At Bright Beginnings we pride ourselves on providing a nurturing, accepting, and educational environment for children, families, and staff. This was our main goal when we started, and we never stop improving and setting new goals. Here are just some of the ways we stand apart from other childcare options.

Cleanliness

  • Facilities are professionally cleaned every night.
  • Our staff keeps rooms cleaned and sanitized throughout the day.
  • Toys and equipment are cleaned and sanitized daily and weekly.

Family-friendly

We realize the importance of family ties.

  • Family values play a crucial role in our decision-making process.
  • Our centers provide a comfortable, safe, family-like atmosphere.

Managers & Staff

Our managers and veteran childcare staff play a central role in our program.

  • Decades of combined experience.
  • Friendly and knowledgeable.
  • Highly trained with associate and/or bachelor degrees.
  • We encourage and inspire our team members to meet their own individual goals. We partner with T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Wisconsin to provide higher-education scholarships that assist in paying for the cost of their higher education.

Curriculum

We realize the value of offering children a balanced curriculum of structure and freedom that fosters social, emotional, and academic success.

  • We follow Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards.
  • Custom-tailored lesson plans with individual activities encourage each child’s abilities.
  • Many different educational materials are available.
  • Children engage in planned learning times, as well as many opportunities for free play.
  • We have plenty of educational equipment that allows children to learn as they play.

Growth & Physical Development

We understand the importance of staying active!

  • Children get at least 60 minutes of active play throughout the day.
  • Very large outside play areas are separated with a variety of outdoor playground equipment specific to different age groups.
  • Schoolyard and park-style commercial-grade play structures provide opportunities for growth and physical development.
  • Dozens of activity equipment, from bikes to water play.
  • Teacher-led outdoor activities scheduled daily.

Healthy & Nutritious Meals

A large variety of different foods is made and prepared from scratch by our in-house chefs. We:

  • Provide fresh fruits.
  • Use frozen vegetables (instead of canned).
  • Don’t serve fried foods.
  • Include wheat and whole-grain foods.
See a Sample Menu

Essential Program Concepts

The following concepts and behaviors are stressed as part of Bright Beginnings’ total program.

thumbs-up kidsSelf-Esteem & Positive Image

Teachers are in a position to observe self-value and do something about it. They help develop self-identity and view themselves as having competence and worth. Daily opportunities include providing creative artistic expression geared to the child’s development level. Praise for a job well done and acceptance of a child for what he/she really is – not what we want them to be. Teachers provide activities and lessons geared to the developmental level of the children in order for them to experience success, and confidence in themselves.

Social Interaction

Bright Beginnings realizes the importance of interaction between a child and his/her peers. This is a prime importance in the realization of who he/she is and how they fit into our world in relationship to others. Opportunities include the use of the dramatic play area, block areas, table activities, outside play, eating experiences, team work on the computer and teacher/children conversation.

Self-Expression & Communication Skills

The language arts are a part of daily living and are functional in every activity and experience at Bright Beginnings. Our teachers serve as role models by using grammatically correct speech patterns and developing fluency and naturalness in expression. Opportunities for many experiences will introduce new words and provide the children with something to talk about. The children learn to talk freely and easily, to listen courteously and to use socially acceptable phrases. Introducing new songs that enhance vocabulary development, role-playing activities, flannel board activities, etc., are additional communication activities experienced.

girl and teacherCreative Expression

To foster creativity in children, the teacher must express creativity themselves. Creativity is not limited to just art and music. It’s the whole program that Bright Beginnings provides that help foster this. The creative part of children develops gradually and grows by meeting problems and situations, recognizing them and being able to solve or face them successfully. Experiences in art, music, movement, and other activities at Bright Beginnings contribute to the development of creativity in the children. Other opportunities include puzzles, clay modeling, easel and finger painting, pasting, cutting, tearing, etc.

Large & Small Muscle Development

In planning and selecting the equipment and materials for all age groups, consideration is given to what the children are like, their nature and needs and how they learn. Recognition must be given to the fact that children are alike yet different. The physical surroundings are functional for the development of the children at their maturity level and are selected to allow for a wide range of abilities and growth patterns. Bright Beginnings provides areas for children to play with:

  • blocks and crafts
  • housekeeping areas
  • manipulative toys
  • equipment for large muscle activities, both indoors and outdoors, including sand and water play areas, etc.

infantIntellectual Growth

Our program is carefully planned with the recognition that children have a right to learn what is taught – to learn whatever is necessary to enlarge or enrich their human experiences. The activities children experience at Bright Beginnings aide them in feeling worthy, respected, capable and competent as well as giving them the opportunity to gain desirable skills. Experiences range from simple to complex at the various levels of maturity, including activities with storytelling, singing, social play, individual play, structured concepts, and more.

Cultural Diversity

Every child is exceptional and unique. Our differences make us special. Holidays, pictures, and weekly themes provide opportunities to stress the value of “noticing and appreciating” differences in each of us. We emphasize that difference in skin color, food preferences and mode of dress don’t set us apart, but rather enhance our way of living. Every effort is made to include activities and experiences that assure an enriched environment. These include:

  • pictures of children and adults from other cultures
  • experiencing traditional foods and games of other countries
  • helping the children realize that other children speak different languages
  • listening to tapes and songs in other languages besides their own