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So Loved Academy

Coming to Frederick County, Maryland

Known. Loved.Taught.

A teacher and a three-year-old at a small wooden table, an open picture book between them showing the Good Shepherd carrying a lamb; the child is pointing at the page and looking up at the teacher, who is smiling at the child

Full-day Christian preschool in Frederick County, open 6:30 to 6:00 all year. Teachers your child will love, and a real start on reading.

Join the interest listTwo minutes. No commitment.

Open when you work.

Most church preschools here close after lunch and all summer. We don't.

The Bible, every day.

Bible stories, prayer before lunch, and a verse by heart.

Hours: 6:30 to 6:00; Monday to Friday, all year
Ages: Two to five; Plus before- and after-school care
Where: Frederick County; Address posted once it's settled
Status: Licensing under way; Join the list to hear the date first

The teachers

Teachers your child will love, all year.

Children learn best from adults they trust. So we hire for warmth, and keep the same faces in the room.

The same faces all year.

Your child's teachers stay in the room. Breaks are covered by a floater your child knows.

Patient and gentle.

Teachers get down to your child's height, and speak kindly, every time.

A director who knows every child.

By name, and by what they love. In the rooms, not behind a desk.

New here? Short days first, a chair by the door for you, and a call from the teacher by mid-morning.

The day

A day they'll want to come back to.

6:30

Doors open

A teacher greets your child by name. Blocks, books and pretend play while the room fills.

9:45

Reading circles

Five at a time sit with a teacher for letters and sounds. Everyone else paints, builds or plays pretend.

10:15

Outside

Every day the weather allows. Coats in February, the hose in July. Drizzle doesn't stop us.

11:25

Math circles

After lunch, five at a time count bears, build patterns and sort shapes with a teacher.

3:15

Bible, music, then you

A Bible story and a song. At pickup, a paper in the backpack, a photo on your phone, and a word from the teacher.

No tablets, no TV. See every hour.

A three-year-old at the classroom door, already turning toward two children building a block tower by the window, a teacher kneeling at the child's height, a parent's hand letting go at the edge of the frame — Six-thirty at the door, mid-morning in the yard.

Four children in coats and boots in a fenced yard on a bright morning: one on a tricycle, two digging, one running; a teacher at the edge with a hand shading her eyes — Six-thirty at the door, mid-morning in the yard.

Every day

You'll always know how it's going.

6:30 to 6:00

A photo every day.: Your child in the middle of something, sent to your phone.
A paper and a note home.: What they worked on today.
Calls returned the same day.: By someone who knows your child.
Told the same day.: Every bump or bite, in writing. Anything more, a call right away.
Concerns answered in writing.: Within a week, with what we changed.
Drop in any morning.: The door is open. No appointment.

Every adult fingerprinted. Locked doors and recording cameras. The whole price posted, no surprise fees. And no child asked to leave without a plan made with you.

What we teach

Ready for kindergarten, a little every day.

We teach children to love reading before kindergarten. Small groups of five, so every child gets a turn. The rest of the room plays.

Four small children and a teacher around a low round table, one child holding up a letter card with total concentration, the teacher's finger resting near it

8:30 and 9:45

Letters and sounds.

In a circle of five. Each child moves up when ready.

8:45 and 11:25

Numbers.

Counting, patterns and shapes, with bears and cubes in hand.

2:15

Story talk.

A book, three new words, and children retelling it.

3:30 and 4:45

Music.

Songs by heart, and real composers while they color.

How you'll see progress

Their reading level on the daily note.
A progress report three times a year.
Two sit-downs a year with the teacher.

Six small children on a round rug, turned toward a teacher on a low stool holding a large open picture book showing an ark and pairs of animals; one child leans forward, one has a hand half-raised

Faith

The Bible is taught here. Every day.

Bible stories morning and afternoon. Prayer before lunch. Christmas is about Jesus.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son.

John 3:16

No denomination, nothing political, and every family welcome. More on faith.

Six small children and a teacher at a low lunch table, heads bowed and hands folded, one child peeking sideways at the teacher with a huge smile

Two more people we'd like to hear from.

You lead a church

Is your building empty on weekdays? Everything we set up packs away before Sunday. See how it works.

You want to work with children

Aides from sixteen, training paid. Put your name down.

While you decide

Guides for Frederick County parents.

Straight answers, whether or not you choose us.

How to choose a daycare in Frederick County

Start with the teachers, then how they treat you, then the day and the hours. Visit at a busy hour and trust what you see.

Will my child learn anything, or just play?

Yes, if a teacher is in the play and letters get a few focused minutes in a small group every day. What to expect, and how to tell on a visit.

How to read a daycare's daily schedule

Look for four things: short teaching pieces in small groups, a teacher inside the play, outside twice, and real rest. Ours is here in full.

All the guides →