Classes and Programs
We design our programs with a developmentally appropriate curriculum for each preschool age group:
- Infants (from six weeks)
- Toddler I (1- and 2-year-olds)
- Toddler II (2- and 3-year-olds)
- Preschool (3- and 4-year-olds)
- Pre-K (4- and 5-year-olds)
Schedule
The Child Development Center of Central offers full-time, structured care Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Class Size
Classroom ratios are consistent with the recommendations of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Our teacher-to-child ratios are:
| Class | CDC Ratios | *NAEYC Ratios | State of GA Licensing |
| Infants | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:6 |
| Ones | 1:4/1:5 | 1:4/1:5 | 1:8 |
| Twos/Threes | 1:6 | 1:6 | 1:10 |
| Preschool | 1:8 | 1:8 | 1:15 |
| GA Pre-K | 1:10 | 1:10 |
*National Association for the Education of Young Children
Meals & Nutrition
Breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack are served daily. The CDC will try to accommodate any special food requirements your child may have. Healthy nutrition is very important, and we adhere to a no sugar policy. We also serve fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, as well as some organic foods.
No Religious Education -- Why Not?
While we support and recognize the value of a Christian-based education, the CDC at Central’s mission is to serve Atlanta’s working families from all religious backgrounds.
- Infants (from six weeks)
- Toddler I (1- and 2-year-olds)
- Toddler II (2- and 3-year-olds)
- Preschool (3- and 4 year-olds)
- Pre-K (4- and 5-years-olds)
Infants
During the first year of life, babies grow and develop faster than at any other time. They learn about the world around them in many ways and seek the stimulation and comfort provided by warm and consistent caregivers. The Childhood Development Center of Central provides flexibility and consistency to our infants so they will become curious and confident toddlers.
Our goal is to help infants:
- Develop small and large muscles
- Feel safe and comfortable
- Imitate sounds and language
- Develop trust and security from relationships
- Build predictable routines and familiar surroundings
Activities include:
- Talking, singing, games, music, and reading
- Playing with toys that have sound and visual effects
- Experiencing the outdoors
- Mirror play, bubbles, texture activities
- And of course, lots of holding and hugging time
- Infants (from six weeks)
- Toddler I (1- and 2-year-olds)
- Toddler II (2- and 3-year-olds)
- Preschool (3- and 4 year-olds)
- Pre-K (4- and 5-years-olds)
Toddlers I,II
A typical day for our toddlers includes a balance of quiet time and active experiences.
During quiet time, teachers and toddlers may work on:
- Building language abilities through music, story time, rhyming games, and conversation
- Learning about social relationships through interactions with peers and adults
- Emphasizing cognitive abilities through concepts such as spatial relationships, cause and effect, and classification of objects
Active experiences for our toddlers include:
- Building fine and gross motor skills through walking forward and backward, climbing, and manipulating objects
- Exploring and encouraging each child's unique abilities through art, movement exercises, and simple dramatic play
We also introduce toddlers to the following self-help skills:
- Cleaning up
- Feeding themselves
- Potty training
- Infants (from six weeks)
- Toddler I (1- and 2-year-olds)
- Toddler II (2- and 3-year-olds)
- Preschool (3- and 4 year-olds)
- Pre-K (4- and 5-years-olds)
Preschool/Pre-kindergarten:
During the preschool/pre-kindergarten years, children are busy discovering the world through interaction with people and objects. They also are figuring out how it works and how to best use their rapidly emerging skills. Language and newly acquired cognitive abilities enable them to question and explore new worlds through books, conversation, social interaction, and increasingly sophisticated play.
Our teachers carefully plan the environment and initiate projects to enrich the child's capacity to learn. Classroom learning centers are created to facilitate this process, and they include:
- Art
- Language
- Science
- Blocks
- Manipulatives
- Drama
To provide structure and organization, centers are labeled using colors, symbols, and words.
Throughout the day, children have opportunities to make choices and to participate in small and large group activities. A typical day for a preschooler may include:
- Spending time at the listening center
- Reading books with a teacher
- Investigating the world of bugs outside
- Acting as an architect and builder with blocks
- Group singing
- Cooking activities such as measuring and pouring
- Creating various imaginary worlds with their friends
