What Some Parents Have Said About Move-N-Learn Academy

With all the recent economic turmoil in our country, many people have been holding tightly to their money, choosing not to invest, spend, or risk losing any more than they possibly can.  For the last three summers, I have experienced a risk-free, sure-fire, solid investment in my son's education and development through the Move-N-Learn classes at Academy of Fine Arts.  Five year-olds can be tough to keep entertained and actively engaged in learning during the summer months.  With the Move-N-Learn program, my son is actively learning about subjects related to music, reading, science, and physical movement.  In addition, he has learned to swim and gained much confidence in this area. He no longer swims with floaties, jumps bravely into the pool alone, loves to float, go underwater and pretend to be a fish!  It thrills me to watch my son growing so confident in himself and his own abilities.  As a teacher, the quality education of my children is a top priority.  What better monetary investment can I make for them? 
Sonya Covalt

  The move-n-learn program has been the most viable choice for my child. We weren't sure how she would do considering she is very attached to her mother. So, the first two weeks she cried, but I was determined to keep her in there but it was good for her and for mom.  She excelled with her colors and now even after  summer move-n-learn is over she still wants to go to class. So, it has been very beneficial.  It has not only helped the detachement problem with mom but also she has now started talking more, wanting to play with others, and she has grown mentally too.  I am a proud parent of a move-n-learn student.
Susan O'Handley

The summer Move-n-Learn program has been extremely beneficial to my 3 year old daughter.  What better place for them to learn than a one-on-one experience within a small class.  Of course she was ecstatic about the swimming lessons but she also loved the music, dance, and curriculum they learned.  It was proven after every class of her acceleration within these areas - she is no longer afraid of water, she knows her "powerful words" and can tell you what they mean, she is constantly singing and dancing around with songs and moves they learned in class and she shows courtesy for others.  This is hands down the best investment in your child’s life and future that you could spend.

Angela Reid (mother of Whitley Reid)

Now There Are Options

For many years, parents would tell us about their anxieties of their children outgrowing Move-N-Learn Academy and having to seek out an education elsewhere. Or we were told about how their children were having a hard time adjusting to a different learning environment.

Now there are no worries! We now offer Learning Coach Services for students that are attending virtual school! This means that a parent can register for virtual school or virtual public school and remain with our teaching staff and facility! All you have to do is register with the virtual public school and then outsource the Learning Coach position with us!

Oh! And by outsourcing the learning coach position with us, your child will also take classes in dance, gymnastics/tumbling, music instruments and voice, art, computers and more! All for one fee!
It is like private school with out the private school cost!

But check us out soon, because we can only take a limited number of students each year!

Since 1986

We have offered out arts enhanced preschool since 1986! It just dies not seem possible that in two more years, our preschool academy will be 30 years old! Amazing!

What makes Move-N-Learn Academy so different that it has lasted this long as a favored preschool in our community of Woodward? Probably because of our great teachers over the years and the forward thinking of our entire staff! Forward thinking meaning that we have always been working at evolving the preschool so that it kept up with the times. Forward thinking because of the times we have taken children into the program that other programs would possibly turn away due to their learning or behavioral problems. Forward thinking because we have always saw ourselves as a school and never as a day care.

 From the very beginning, Move-N-Learn Academy has incorporated the performing and fine arts into our educational system. Gymnastics has also been a big part of the learning as well since we really believe in the body and mind connection. Lessons using the fine arts have brought about a great wealth of knowledge for out students. For instance, how many two year olds learn the shapes of octagon, wedge, cube, cylinder, etc. in the preschools that do not offer gymnastics?

Over the years, we have had many public elementary educators come to us and say " I think I have one of your preschool students in my class this year." When asked the name of the student, 99.9% of the time they were correct. The child did come through our preschool program from 2-5 yrs. of age. It has always been wonderful when the public educator has added, " Your kids are always so ready for school and beyond!"

So what is in the future of Move-N-Learn Academy? We think that the direction our school is headed is outstanding! We have had computers in the school for the past ten years and have moved on with adding more technology and engineering. Yes, we still have our center for blocks as part of the engineering, but now we have also incorporated software that is fun and builds on math skills in working with arcs, semicircle, straight lines and more. With this software, student learn to construct roads and railways, add trains, helicopters, trucks, cars. water fronts and more. They are truly engineers!

Music is becoming a bigger part of our school as well. Every students gets music by singing and learning to use rhythm instruments, but our older students (4-5 yrs.) also start on pre-piano. All ages also start working with recognizing music symbols and notes as well.

Dance and performance means that each child has a chance to perform for their families at our spring show. Thus training them for other public situations in the future. Remember  being afraid to stand up and do an oral book report? Our students see it as just another opportunity to perform!

We think it is outstanding that our little school has weathered the years and the upgrades well. We believe  that as long as we embrace changing times as something good and an opportunity to continue to grow, we will have many more years of teaching area children! That is why in August of 2014, we will be opening a Move-N-Learn Academy in Enid as well!

We hope you will join us this year at Move-N-Learn Academy to experience to excitement and growth that is available for your child. Fall registration is now available on line at www.academyoffineartsok.com

Why So Many Boys At Move-N-Learn Academy?

Why Move-N-Learn Academy Works For Boys - slideshow

Want A Better Idea What Move-N-Learn Is About?

Want a better idea of what your child will experience at Move-N-Learn Academy? Click the link below ! We are now registering for fall 2014.

Check out what Move-N-Learn Academy is about!

Changes coming to Move-N-Learn for Fall 2014

We have had our preschool since 1986 and every few years, we update the program to offer the best preschool and pre-k academic program in our area. It is one of those years again! And so, we will be updating some of the standards as well as looking at the curriculum.

What will not change is that with us, your child will have the opportunity for dance, tumbling, art, computers and more. Our standards will not be lowered, but raised higher. Higher means that your child is more than prepared for their Kindergarten year.

One of the changes is that your child will not have to leave us when they are ready for Kindergarten. They will be able to stay in an environment that they love and feel secure in. Their academics will be through Oklahoma Connections Academy, but their learning coaches will be our staff.

Be are  excited about this change and are looking towards the future for our students.

New Opportunities Now Available For Our Graduates!

Worried about where your child will have to go to school after graduating from Move-N-Learn Academy? Worry no more!

If you or your child are still struggling with public school issues, a public school education in a private setting may be the answer for your child's success.  No matter if you are tired of bullying, the lack of time for family, over crowding of classes and lack of the teachers time for your child, or just want your child to be challenged more, take a look at our public school in a private setting opportunity this Tuesday night at 6:30 pm. The meeting will be held at the Hampton Inn on Williams Ave.

This informational meeting will allow you to ask questions about the K-12 curriculum and other questions concerning your child's education. A Representative of Oklahoma Connections Academy ( we are thinking it will be Tammy Shepherd, Principal of OKCA) will be there to address any concerns or questions concerning virtual public school. 

We hope to see you there. 

Now You Have Options!

You now have another option once your child has graduated from our Move-N-Learn Academy! If you loved Move-N-Learn Academy, you can now continue the experience with our Learning Coach Service when you register in grades K-12 Oklahoma Virtual Public School! See us for more details at www.academyoffineartsok.com 

You Can Now Find Us On Instagram!

You know we are on Facebook, but did you know we are now on Instagram? Check us out! www.instagram.com/movenlearnacademyoffinearts

What Comes After Move-N-Learn Academy?

Families since 1986 have enjoyed having their children in Move-N-Learn Academy.We are actually now very proud to say that we have a second generation with us in Move-N-Learn Academy! But the big question for years has been, "what do we do after Move-N-Learn Academy?". The majority have taken their children to public schools, others have went to a private Christian school and even some have opted to home school. Knowing that our students would outgrow our little school, we have always worked hard to provide them with the best possible education that they would succeed with, no matter where they chose to transition to. But there have been times that we have heard that our students have had a hard time transitioning to other learning environments. They loved Move-N-Learn Academy and nothing compares to it when you bring in the arts, as we do. Hearing this for years sent us on a search towards possibly starting our own private elementary school. But that again, leads once again to transitioning to a middle school later. Then along came virtual schools for K-12. So we started our research in that direction and found new opportunities growing for our current students and future students. And then came virtual public schools. Once again, we started looking at the different virtual public school available to families in Oklahoma. This then led us to trying to make the right contacts to see if there was a way of bringing the virtual public school into our facilities for our families. Months and months of trying turned to success in March 2013 when we were able to get an appointment with the principal of Oklahoma Connections Academy, Tammy Shepherd. In meeting with Tammy, I was able to point out that many families might want to attend Oklahoma Connections Academy Virtual Public School, but because their system assumes that all families have the ability of a parent staying in the home and being the "Learning Coach", it limits what families are in position to make the move. After some discussion, a conclusion was made that it was possible for families to choose to enroll with OKCA and outsource the learning coach position to us. Parents are still involved in their child's education because it is the parent that will take care of the enrollment procedures with OKCA. Parents are also still involved with the Parent Teacher conferences and other situations, such as field trips and clubs, that are available for their children. Our position as "Learning Coach" for your child means that we are the ones that will work with your child to complete their assignments.Learning coaches are limited to only five students, unlike your brick and mortar teachers that have 20-30 students. Our learning coaches will also sit in on the Parent Teacher conferences as well, thus meaning there are three people working together for your child's success, parent, virtual teacher and learning coach. But the best part of this situation is that children that are enrolled with OKCA and with Academy of Fine Arts (Move-N-Learn Academy), can complete their educational studies in a shorter day than attending a brick and mortar school, and then move into our performing and fine arts programs to fine tune and progress faster in their craft. We even have a plan for those students that have a desire for sports as well. Registration and transfer into OKCA is this spring. The process is simple and again, Oklahoma Connections Academy Virtual Public School is FREE. The only fees you pay are to Academy of Fine Arts for the learning coach position and your performing and fine arts or sports. As always, we fully qualify our teachers for their positions and they undergo a national background check and drug tests. We also hire for personality to be able to communicate well with children. Oklahoma Connections Academy is for grades K-12 which transitions well with our from our part time private Preschool and Pre-K programs. It is also an easy transition back to a brick and mortar school is you find that this setting is not right for your child or family. We will be offering a meeting, either onsite or at another location for parents that want to know more, meet a representative of OKCA and give consideration to this new learning environment. Please watch our BLOG as well as our Facebook page and website for more information. This is an exciting journey for us as we transition into a private education (with a public virtual school) situation for our students. We hope that you will be willing to investigate it further by going to the OKCA website at www.connectionsacademy.com/OKCA as well as our website at www.academyoffineartsok.com Please watch for more posts to this blog.

We Hope You Had A Great Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is more than just families gathering to eat a super large meal! It is about setting family standards, history and creating stories for the future generations. We all loved hearing stories about grandma or grandpa when we were growing up, right? That is why it is important to be sure that during the holidays, things such as making memories with your children and grandchildren do not get lost in the hustle and bustle of the season.

Make time for simple special moments. Nothing has to be extravagant or time consuming. Set aside the gift shopping and find something to do that they will remember for a long time.

This Thanksgiving, after a too large of a meal, everyone was sleepily sitting around. Well, with the exception of two grandsons that is. So I seized the moment, pulled out the wagon and took them on a walk. A very long walk (actually they rode)! I do have to admit that halfway through the walk, I wondered why I had even thought of doing this. Two preschool boys in a wagon was not always an easy pull, especially when going up hill.

But when I paused to catch my breath, the oldest said, "Grandma this is the best day ever! I like it when we go on walks." The he smiled and nodded his head up and down waiting for me to agree. Yes, it was the "best day ever" because I took a moment (well several minutes) and spent time with them in the fresh air. My enthusiasm lifted for the second half of the walk as I watched the smiling faces in my wagon. My step became lighter, my breath easier and my memories set for the rest of my life.

And I am certain that we had a better time and was in a healthier position than those we left napping and sitting in front of the television at home. Be sure to make some special memories this holiday season with your children. Happy Holidays!

The Value of Small Classes?

Many parents find themselves clamoring after what everyone else wants for their children, not even thinking about the fact that their child may be lost in the crowd of the most popular activity, event or class. Although large classes or groups may seem like a great idea, since so many others already believe it to be as well, a large group or class can actually make your child uncomfortable and cause them to hold back and not help to move them forward.

In large classes or events, the perceived  "natural athlete" or "dancer"  are almost always placed in a forward position to "assist the teacher or coach". The teacher or coach more than likely are believing that they are actually helping everyone by having others assist with the activity or class. but some go forward, others are pushed back.

When young students see other students that have been brought forward to "help the teacher", many start setting themselves up for failure but believing they must not be very good already, because they were not called forward to help. They start moving towards the back row or take a back seat to the training.

In a smaller class, there are no back rows or back seats to take. So everyone is given a chance to learn and grow. It does not mean that another student will not be used as a demonstrator. It does mean that the teacher or coach will not frantically scan the room for the perceived "natural" and has more time to look over every single student and find something that each, as an individual, does very well. So in a smaller class, you will actually see and experience more students "helping the teacher". No one gets pushed to the back.

Even if your child is very shy or introverted, a smaller class allows for a teacher to work slower in bringing every child to a full blossom of abilities and knowledge. Every child is given a chance and there is less comparing the students against each other. There is less of a need to rush each child to reach a certain standard, because there are so many students!

In an early childhood learning situation, smaller classes actually allows a child to learn more in an inviting environment where the teacher has time for them. A smaller class offers a more leveled field of opportunity for everyone. Students are happier, teachers are happier.

The value of smaller classes? It depends on how much you believe your child's happiness and enthusiasm is. If your child is hanging back in participating in the activity, school or class you have them in? Do they move to the background? Don't raise their hand enthusiastically? Smile going in and smile coming out? Do they complain that they have no friends? That no one likes them or someone always hurts them?

Smaller classes does not mean smaller value! After all, some of the nations top private school highly limit how many students are allowed to enroll each year. They know that success is there for every student that they let in through their doors. They are selective in hiring teachers. They are selective in admittance.

So is a smaller class, school or activity the right fit for your child? Only their enthusiasm and smiles will give the answer away.

Can Move-N-Learn Academy Help Home Schooled Children?

We believe that Move-N-Learn Academy can be a great supplement to your homeschooling! Home schooled children are more than welcomed at Move-N-Learn Academy. By being part of a small learning group, your child will enjoy the fun of developing friendships with the other children as well as enjoy the extra classes of dance, gymnastics, art, music and more.

Informed parents know the value of learning about the arts and being a part of the arts. Time and time again, you will find all kinds of articles on line that outline the value of being in an arts program. Move-N-Learn Academy is a nice blending of the preschool and pre-k academics needed for children ages 2-4 yrs and 4-5 yrs with the arts instruction, thus giving each child a great beginning in life.

As a private program, we offer even more than you could even imagine such as our computer lab, foreign language, American Sign Language, dance instruction, music instruction (actual instrument playing and theory), art, gymnastic and in the summer enhancement session, swimming lessons!

We invite all families to look into Move-N-Learn Academy as an option for their child's early learning. Visit our website at www.academyoffineartsok.com or our Facebook page at Move-N-Learn Academy of Woodward and Enid OK.

*Enid Move-N-Learn Academy opening January 2014
*Move-N-Learn is a non-accredited private learning opportunity

Can The Right Learning Environment Make A Difference?

It does if they know your child's name!! A welcoming environment where children are greeted every day by hearing their name called out with a smile can make a big difference in how your child approaches going to classes.

At Move-N-Learn Academy, all staff members work to make your child as comfortable as possible from the moment they walk in until the time they walk out. Greeting each child by their name as they come through the door is important. It let's them know that that their arrival is important and that we are happy to see them each and every time that they come. A smiling face that says "welcome to class" is comforting and supports their need to be recognized.

Each class starts with "I'm so happy to see....., I'm so happy to see....." while children smile and move to  music with the teacher. Every child is called upon to participate at the level they are comfortable with and no one is pushed beyond their level. Instead we help them to grow to a higher level of participation.

Catch them doing it right! Yes, every time! Teachers watch for the children to complete their skills correctly and catch them with high praise instead of always pointing out what they are doing wrong. This brings smiles and helps them to continue working hard because it is fun when the teacher knows they are in class and trying to do their best.

A proper learning environment is important. It is something all parents should take time in making their decisions as to what facility their child will attend class at.

Move-N-Learn Academy May Be the Right Fit For Your Child

Not every child can learn in full day program that teaches children mainly by having them sit at desks or tables all day. Young children are active and always moving for one reason, to use their senses and locomotion to LEARN.

Move-N-Learn Academy's half day program may actually amaze you when it comes to your child's capacity to learn! A program that has been built around the needs of children and how they learn, Move-N-Learn Academy may just be the difference that meets your young child's needs.

Still Accepting Registration For Move-N-Learn Morning Academy in Woodward! Call 580-256-3262 to learn more of visit our website at www.academyoffineartsok.com. Also find Move-N-Learn Academy of Woodward Ok 73801 on Facebook and see the fun!

Now Pre-registering in our Enid location! 580-747-4799

Why should you select Move-N-Learn Academy for Pre-K?

THERE IS ONE GOOD REASON!

1. Classes are small so your child gets the help in learning that they deserve!
1. MNL offers a proven curriculum that uses the body and brain connection for better learning and retention.
1.Your child receives all of the standards that are needed to transition successfully to brick and mortar public schools , and more!
1.Your child receives fine arts training in dance, gymnastics, art, music.
1. Foreign languages such as French and Spanish are introduced through a phonics based learning style.
1, American sign language is taught and counts as a second, or even third language.
1. Art classes are not just coloring and pasting (although that is important too). Students learn the science of mixing colors, learn about textures and use different media to explore their art talents.
1. Dance is syllabus based and age appropriate, and is not just moving and shaking for exercise.
1. Gymnastics is syllabus based and age appropriate for SAFETY and fun. It is a progressive program where one skill develops from another.
1. Music taught is more than singing a song or shaking an instrument. Student learn to recognize musical symbols and start learning to actually read music.
1. Pre-K and Jr Kindergarten have piano lessons on Wednesdays
1. Parents get a daily report of their child's progress.
1. Parents can look at the progress of their child passing skills from their on line parent portal.
1. Daily computer time that teaches them how to use a computer and mouse.
1. Introduction to tablets
1. No matter what the weather, we have the largest indoor play yard in our gym for great physical fun!
1. Physical activity every day
1. Holiday parties and fun
1. Performance opportunities
1. Project based learning that allows a child to experience the learning in a fun environment and apply their knowledge.
1. Great teachers that can connect with the students.
1. A program that is based on current trends, thus teaching your child with their future in mind and not for the world in the past.
1. A program built to life students up and never break them down.

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU IN MOVE-N-LEARN ACADEMY!

A Reason To Start An Arts Education Early!

The Connection Between Arts Education and Academic Achievement

Yet against this backdrop, a new picture is emerging. Comprehensive, innovative arts initiatives are taking root in a growing number of school districts. Many of these models are based on new findings in brain research and cognitive development, and they embrace a variety of approaches: using the arts as a learning tool (for example, musical notes to teach fractions); incorporating arts into other core classes (writing and performing a play about, say, slavery); creating a school environment rich in arts and culture (Mozart in the hallways every day) and hands-on arts instruction. Although most of these initiatives are in the early stages, some are beginning to rack up impressive results. This trend may send a message to schools focused maniacally, and perhaps counterproductively, on reading and math.

"If they're worried about their test scores and want a way to get them higher, they need to give kids more arts, not less," says Tom Horne, Arizona's state superintendent of public instruction. "There's lots of evidence that kids immersed in the arts do better on their academic tests."

Education policies almost universally recognize the value of arts. Forty-seven states have arts-education mandates, forty-eight have arts-education standards, and forty have arts requirements for high school graduation, according to the 2007-08 AEP state policy database. The Goals 2000 Educate America Act, passed in 1994 to set the school-reform agenda of the Clinton and Bush administrations, declared art to be part of what all schools should teach. NCLB, enacted in 2001, included art as one of the ten core academic subjects of public education, a designation that qualified arts programs for an assortment of federal grants.

In a 2003 report, "The Complete Curriculum: Ensuring a Place for the Arts and Foreign Languages in American's Schools," a study group from the National Association of State Boards of Education noted that a substantial body of research highlights the benefits of arts in curriculum and called for stronger emphasis on the arts and foreign languages. As chairman of the Education Commission of the States from 2004 to 2006, Mike Huckabee, then governor of Arkansas, launched an initiative designed, according to commission literature, to ensure every child has the opportunity to learn about, enjoy, and participate directly in the arts.

Top-down mandates are one thing, of course, and implementation in the classroom is another. Whatever NCLB says about the arts, it measures achievement through math and language arts scores, not drawing proficiency or music skills. It's no surprise, then, that many districts have zeroed in on the tests. A 2006 national survey by the Center on Education Policy, an independent advocacy organization in Washington, DC, found that in the five years after enactment of NCLB, 44 percent of districts had increased instruction time in elementary school English language arts and math while decreasing time spent on other subjects. A follow-up analysis, released in February 2008, showed that 16 percent of districts had reduced elementary school class time for music and art -- and had done so by an average of 35 percent, or fifty-seven minutes a week.

To read more about this article, go to  http://www.edutopia.org/arts-music-curriculum-child-development

Now Registering For Move-N-Learn Academy in Woodward!

Postcards by Vistaprint

There is More To Education Than Pencils and Paper

We have always said that there is more to education than pencils and paper, thus our school program name, Move-N-Learn! Children learn better doing and having fun in a playful environment than sitting at a desk all day. Take a moment and think back to your favorite teachers. I bet they did not have you just sitting at a desk with pencils and paper.

You might find this article interesting:
  http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/12/29/christakis.play.children.learning/index.html

Cutting Edge Education For Grades K-12

Dear Parents,

If you are one of the many that is considering Oklahoma Connections Academy for your child's K-12 education this year, we would encourage you to visit their website at www.connectionsacademy.com/OKCA and also watch this video. OKCA offers a cutting edge education that is geared towards the future. More one on one time with teachers and learning coaches make this a wonderful situation.

Coupled with our performing and fine arts programs, and sports programs, OKCA will be the right choice for may families. Whether you want your child to have more time for their fine arts, fine tune their sports or spend more time with their animals or family, OKCA is worth taking a look at and give it high consideration.

Years ago, it was though that if your child did not participate in school sports, they did not have a chance at being looked at for collegiate sports. That is NOW NOT THE CASE. In our own family, we experienced a child not having time for a sport in Jr and Sr High due to academic struggles. But with coaching outside of school, and after all home work was completed, she was able to participate in her sport of choice at a four year university with no problem.

AS I stated before, OKCA may be worth your time to explore. And even if you are just now in our Preschool, Pre-K or Jr Kindergarten, you might want to take a look at Oklahoma Connections Acadeny as your child's next step in their education.

Here is the video. Click the link to watch and then I do hope to visit with you in person or by phone.

Thank you,

Mary Myers, Director
Academy Of Fine Arts