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

Some Great New Changes Happening at Move-N-Learn Academy This Fall!

Be sure to follow our posts very closely the next couple of weeks as great new things are happening with our structure and schedule for the Preschool and Pre-K/Jr Kindergarten levels of Move-N-Learn Academy! We think you will find Move-N-Learn Academy the premier Preschool and Pre-K/Jr Kindergarten in your area.

But, again, watch and stay tuned very closely, because once the information is out.......enrollment will explode and we only take a limited number of students!

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 

Time Goes Fast!

Wow! It was just the other day that we were wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving and now we are only days away from Christmas! How did that happen?

It happens when you have children about you. Whether at home or at work, time goes faster when there are children around. Why? Probably because they have only one speed, fast. Running, climbing, talking....it is all at super speed because they have so much to accomplish in a short time. A short time, because childhood does not last long.

I know, those days that seem to just drag because you do nothing but pick up after them. Feed them. Potty train them. Read to them. Play with them. It can seem like a 24/7 job, because it is.

But in a blink of an eye, you will wonder where it all went. Time travels fast. Time never seems to slow down.

But take time this holiday season to slow yourself down enough to actually enjoy the holidays with your child. Find time to hold them  and tell them that even when they are being "bad" that you still love them and that nothing can change that. Laugh with them. Play with them.

And enjoy the holidays. Because the holidays soon become memories too.

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!

Pre-Registration for Second Semester is Now Available

Second semester begins January 6, 2014 and we are currently receiving pre-registration on line at www.academyoffineartsok.com or in person at our Woodward location and Enid Location.

Move-N-Learn Academy offers an educational program that is enhanced by the arts. We do not offer daycare services and are only a part time program. Please see our website at www.academyoffineartsok.com for more information.

A Typical Day At Move-N-Learn Academy

What is a typical day at Move-N-Learn Academy? First of all it is filled with exploration and learning fun from beginning to end! Parents are amazed that their child meets them in the lobby with a smile on their faces and stories to tell of what all they did during their time at Move-N-Learn Academy.

Because we believe in the body and mind connection, class time never starts with sitting at the tables working on papers. Instead, they enjoy fun learning on the computers, tablets, music keyboards and more.

From there, students then move to circle time to learn about many different things such as days and months of the year, holidays, counting out loud, letter and number recognition, color recognition, loud and quiet, hard and soft, sing songs and more.

Dancing and music making are a part of each day too. Here the students learn about left and right, high and low, vocal toning and pitch, cooperation with others, spatial awareness as well has hopping, skipping, jumping, dance technique.

Academics that are age appropriate and  meet core standards takes place at the tables. Learning to write, read and do math situations, cutting, gluing and working with shapes are just a few things that the students experience and learn from.

We have the greatest play yard! Actually, it is our gym where students participate in physical activity and gymnastics. The greatest thing about all of this is that our students receive physical activity each day they are in class because the weather is never a situation to deal with!

Summer brings great fun in the form of swimming lessons! That is right! The summer session is a splashing great time in our pool ant learning to swim safely.

** Swimming lessons and gymnastics is only offered in our Woodward location at this time. Enid location will include tumbling and physical activities.

Activity Centers

Activity centers are a daily event at Move-N-Learn Academy. Great fun for everyone exploring each center.

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

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

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

Preschool or Daycare?

Lately there are a lot of daycare centers that are calling themselves preschools because they dedicated a couple of hours a day to learning situations. The teachers for the preschool tend to be the employees/caregivers of the preschool. And so, parents are left trying to figure out what it is that they really want and need for their children's educational needs.

The word preschool is actually meant for an early education before attending formal school. In that case, every parents home is already a preschool, because your child is learning from birth. And Pre-K stands for before kindergarten, so again, your home is also a Pre-K. Silly thinking? Well, maybe and maybe not.

Today's busy parents may just be that, too busy and hurried to truly research out what a preschool and pre-k program should look and feel like. Too busy to find out what the "school" teaches. And so they opt for a daycare that offers a couple of hours of preschool training that includes cutting, gluing, tracing, filling in with a pencil or crayon, social graces, some life skills and call it good.

But parents may really want to slow down and takes some time to truly think about what they want for their preschool age child. Maybe take a vacation day to tour and interview the facility directors and teachers. Not sure what to ask? You might find this link helpful for questions to ask. http://www.babycenter.com/0_preschool-director-teacher-interview_1450420.bc

The other thing thing a parent may want to sit down and figure out is the true value of a program versus the fees. Some half time places may seem a bit pricey when compared to the daycare/preschool combos, but the value of the actual education may be much higher and therefor your child will be better prepared and experience. Truly ready for private or public Kindergarten. Never make your decision on tuition price. When the others are cheaper, ask why. Are the government funded? Supported by a church? Supported by an organization?

Be sure you have all of the facts to make the best decision for your young children, because it is their early education that sets the stage for the rest of their education.

Academy of Fine Arts Now Offering Free Education Option

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-----  May 2013

Academy of Fine Arts , in collaboration with Oklahoma Connections Academy, will now be able to offer an academic program for ages K-12. Students of Academy of Fine Arts in Woodward and Enid  now have a choice in education delivery styles that can include their performing and fine arts training.

Oklahoma Connections Academy is a public virtual school that offers Oklahoma State Certified Teachers for your child's success. Any student that has resided in the state of Oklahoma and attended public school this past year can transfer into Oklahoma Connections Academy, according to OKCA Principal Tammy Shepherd.

OKCA requires that the student enrolled has a trained Learning Coach during their time for studies. This can be the parent, or can be outsourced to another person or situation, such as Academy of Fine Arts. This means that your child can study and work on their schooling throughout the day, and also continue to train in their performing and fine arts classes while at AOFA. Leaving the evening hours open to other things such as more family time.

This type of learning environment/situation has actually been around for generations. Children on Broadway, on movie sets in Hollywood, or in Olympic training have always had on site tutors available to them for their school studies, and yet be able to work on their sport or craft. Oklahoma Connections Academy's public virtual school offers the same freedom and convenience, the delivery system has just changed to the internet.

AOFA students interested in sports will also enjoy the classes tailored for athletes that will enhance their athleticism that AOFA offers. AOFA is also in the process of changing and broadening their sports offerings to their students.

So no matter if your child has a passion to be the next great prima ballerina, a great violinist, compete in rodeo, baseball , soccer, basketball, swimming or softball, there is a place with them at Academy of Fine Arts and Oklahoma Connections Academy.

Please visit our website at www.academyoffineartsok.com for more information as to how you can blend your child's education with us and Oklahoma Connections Academy. We also highly recommend that you visit the Oklahoma Connections Academy website at www.connectionsacademy/OKCA for more details of the academic offering from this public virtual school that does not cost you any tuition.

*Academy of Fine Arts does charge a fee for their services as Learning Coach and their classes offered to your child.

What To Look For In A Preschool

Here are 4 things every parent should consider 
before choosing an academic preschool program.

1. What are the ages and class size?Children 2, 3, 4 and 5 are very different in their abilities socially, academically and even physically. Parents should first look for a program that recognizes the learning styles of each age and has teachers that know the differences. Parents may want to look for a preschool that does not place all of the ages together, but rather has a seperate class or program for their child's age group. The class size should be small, allowing each child to receive individual attention throughout their day. Some classes that are offered may have up to 18 students in a class with a teacher and a helper, but this situation only means that if one student is struggling and a teacher is helping that student, then the other teacher is is left with 17 other students.

At Move-N-Learn, classes are age appropriate and we realize their learning needs are different. Classes at Move-N-Learn are small in size because we know that your child deserves to have as much attention to their needs as possible. Our maximum number is 8 for 2-3 yr olds and 10 in a class for 4-5 yr olds. Classes this size are very manageable and allows the teachers time to keep a fun learning atmosphere where every student excels.

2. What Is The School Focus?Some school spend all of their time on the ABC''s, while other preschools use the free-learning approach and the child wonders around all day choosing what they want to do. While neither approach is bad, some parents may wonder if the first is too regimented for young learning and the second is not able to be tracked as far as accomplishing educational skills. Knowing what is best for your child can be very confusing. You want them to learn and have fun, but you want to know that they are learning the necessary skills needed for further education.

A 1991 study showed that students in schools with an arts focused curriculum reported significantly more positive perceptions about their academic abilities. A University in California (Irvine) reported that preschoolers showed a 46% boost in their spatial reasoning IQ after only eight months of piano instruction. Several other studies have shown similar outcomes with the introduction of arts based classes in dance, art and music for young children.

Move-N-Learn Academy offers an arts based focus to enhance and increase academic learning and social skills. Through music, movement and art, students learn fun activities that helps with personal focus, listening, sorting, counting, body awareness (for a great personal image of oneself), balance, coordination, vocalizing and more! This program is not your typical program that teaches a young child to "shhh", but instead to question and explore on their own and as a group.

3. How Will I Know My Young Child Is Learning?
Preschool age children are at a stage in life that they are too busy to remember what all that they learned in their class. Most will only focus on what they enjoyed best for the day. So parents sometimes find it frustrating as to why they cannot get their child to tell them the answer to "What did you learn in school today?"

The Move-N-Learn Academy staff and faculty have many years of experience in teaching young children and we recognize the importance of communication with our parents. It is for that reason that we have many ways of letting parents know what is being taught and how to get the information they are looking for. Just a few are:

♦Front desk always available to assist you
♦Parent/Teacher Conferences 3 times a year and available when needed on a daily basis
♦Informative bulliten board, Facebook page and a great website!
♦Email blasts that are for your child's class situation only
♦Yearly and Monthly Calendars
♦Observation windows for parent to observe the classes
♦The ability for parents to request to "sit in" on a class day
♦Goal forms to be able to track your child's abilities
♦A Parent Portal that you can access to review your account, registration, announcements, skills achieved and much more.
♦ a parent/member page on our website with lots of good information.

4. Does it feel and look like a good fit for your child?
Not one school can be the best fit for every child. Visit the preschools in your area and use your "Mommy Instinct" to be your guide. Be sure to bring your questions to make sure you feel comfortable with the philosophy of the school's academic and free play learning. And of course, look for clean, colorful and bright classrooms with a friendly and caring teaching staff.

We invite you to take a tour of our preschool. We would love the opportunity to show you our unique school and answer any questions that you might have. We also invite you to read the testimonials that our parents have written on our academic program as well. You will find them posted on our website.

Move-N-Learn Academy of Enid

UPDATE!!!
Although we are still battling a legal issue with roof and the improper install of it, we have made forward steps to be opening this fall! Move -N - Learn Academy will be held this fall and classes are scheduled to begin the Tuesday after Labor Day 2013



Unfortunately, our Enid location is still in dispute over the new roof that was placed on the building. The building still leaks terribly and the roofing contractor has been difficult to deal with. This matter has been turned over now to an attorney who understands the importance of getting the room completed and the school opened.

We are currently in the process of trying to locate a temporary location so that we can open this fall. Please continue to follow this situation from our website, facebook page and this blog for updates. Call our office at 580-747-4799 and leave your contact information with us and we will happily keep you personally informed.

We are very sorry for this delay. The school should of been open 6 months ago with no problem, but with a difficult carpenter and roofer, we have been held back from completion of the Enid location.  We want it to be perfect for our students and once completed, you will be very surprised at the professionalism of the school.

Visit Our Facebook Pages

Visit our facebook page at www.facebook.com/movenlearnacademy