Cranston residents driving Phenix Avenue may have wondered for months just what is going on near the traffic light at 950 Phenix Avenue. Recent outdoor progress included a sign for Little Learners Academy of Cranston and on the inside, finishing touches are taking place as well.

Little Learners Academy founders Charlene Barbieri and Kendra Tanguay are excited for the impending opening of their childcare center, which will service families with children six weeks of age through five years or entering kindergarten from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. They anticipate an opening date in early August and have been steadily meeting, greeting and enrolling families as that date draws near. Barbieri is no stranger to early childhood education, with 27 years in Early Childhood Education, a degree in Early Childhood Education and two Master’s Degrees, one in counseling and one in administration. Tanguay is also well-versed in early childhood education, having a degree in both Early Childhood and Elementary Education, and holding Master’s Degrees in both Special Education and Administration. Both take pride in being hands-on partners, being sure to be on site at the facility each day as Adriana Matteo takes on the role of director at the site.

For those looking for a safe, creative, child-centered early childhood experience for their children, both Tanguay and Barbieri agree that Little Learners Academy is that place.

“We utilize a play-based philosophy where our children learn through play,” Barbieri said. “We encourage family involvement. We follow all DCYF regulations for classroom size, we have certified teachers on site, a certified nurse on site, and all of our teachers are trained in the Rhode Island Early Learning and Development Standards as well as first aid and CPR. We also we usually have additional itinerants on site in addition to a certified nurse.”

The school’s four year-old classroom will employ the Lakeshore Learning Flex Space classroom set-up, allowing for flexible seating, collaboration, mobility and play in the classroom, and the students will have the opportunity to learn things such as yoga and cooking as well as take part in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) activities embedded within their early childhood curriculum. Barbieri and Tanguay are also hoping to begin a partial Spanish immersion program at the school.

The founders are very excited about their outdoor classroom play space, which will be artificial turf for a softer landing, and allow students and teachers to take their learning outdoors often. Additionally, both Barbieri and Tanguay are looking forward to offering parents a safe, secure location where their children can learn, with a security system that utilizes a keypad entry into the school’s foyer, where the school’s director will allow entrance into the main building. The outdoor spaces are monitored with cameras as well.

“We will also be introducing the Tadpoles program as a means of communicating with parents about their child’s day,” said Barbieri. “It keeps them digitally informed and they will receive pictures and descriptions of what’s been happening throughout the day.”

As a means of keeping parents engaged and connected with the school community, Little Learners Academy will be offering bi-monthly workshops for families on topics they deem important, such as healthy eating habits and literacy, and will also offer parent-teacher conference opportunities and frequent communication through newsletters, emails and the other anecdotal notes such as whiteboard messages in the classrooms. Those wishing to find out more about Little Learners Academy of Cranston can visit their website, littlelearnersacademyofcranston.com, or call 323-1303.