• MAHAN: (850) 219-2400
  • SOUTHWOOD: (850) 656-3235
  • MAHAN: (850) 219-2400
  • SOUTHWOOD: (850) 656-3235
Schedule a Tour

Our Curriculum

We call it “strategic fun.” 

Your child calls it their favorite part of the day.

At Scottsdale Academy, everything we do in the classroom has a purpose. Kids aren’t just playing — they’re developing language, motor skills, critical thinking and social-emotional skills through every single activity.

That’s the idea behind strategic fun: make learning feel irresistible.

Our Curriculum Foundation:


Beyond Centers and Circle Time® (BCCT)

We use the Beyond Centers and Circle Time® (BCCT) curriculum — a nationally recognized, research-based approach to early childhood education developed specifically for young children.

BCCT is built around the idea that children learn best when they’re actively engaged. It’s developmentally appropriate, theme-driven and structured to build on skills progressively as children grow.

We use the Beyond Cribs and Rattles Curriculum Series for our youngest learners.

Planning with intention in every preschool classrooom.  Lesson plans are prepared before the start of each month and reviewed by our Dean of Curriculum to ensure they’re age-appropriate and aligned with our curriculum goals.

The Arts & Rhythms

Through music, art, and finger play, we stimulate neural pathways responsible for creativity and motor control.
Music
Art
Finger play

Exploratory Learning

Sensory activities allow children to engage with the physical world through touch, sight, and sound, grounding abstract concepts in reality.

Narrative & Literacy

Story time and focused discussions build vocabulary and empathy from the earliest ages.

Critical Inquiry

Problem solving and logical thinking are integrated into every daily activity.

Collaborative
Dialogue

We encourage discussions that allow children to articulate their thoughts, listen to peers, and build social intelligence through structured interaction.

Our Learning Philosophy

Children love learning through play

It is Scottsdale Academy’s philosophy that it is most effective for young children to learn through play — or what we call “strategic fun.”

That’s not a tagline. It’s the foundation of everything we do in our classrooms.

Strategic fun means that every activity is intentional. Every game, every song, every art project has a learning goal behind it.

Scottsdale Academy believes in utilizing a curriculum which is developmentally appropriate with fulfilling experiences. Effectively planning for learning gains through formal lesson planning allows for “strategic fun.”
Our strategic fun includes such things as
  • Music
  • Art
  • Finger play
  • Story time
  • Discussions
  • Sensory activities
  • Logical thinking
  • Problem solving

By combining physical, emotional, language and social skills through teacher-directed and child-initiated activities, Scottsdale Academy provides a well-balanced early childhood development program.

We Welcome Every Child

We embrace all religions, races and cultures at Scottsdale Academy.

We create a sense of community by building upon each child’s background, language, and learning abilities so that each child feels a positive sense of self. The children then learn to value, respect, empathize and become more knowledgeable about their diverse peers and environment.

Monthly Theme Calendar

Every month brings something new to explore.

One of the things that makes Scottsdale Academy’s preschool curriculum so engaging is that it never feels repetitive

We organize our lessons around monthly themes — each one tied to age-appropriate concepts, such as: literacy, math, science, writing and nature.. Every theme connects to a color, a shape and letter reinforcement so kids are building foundational skills while exploring something genuinely interesting to them.

Month

Theme

Holiday Focus

Color

Shape

Letters

August

Summer Fun / Back to School

—

Blue, Yellow, Red

Square, Heart

Personal Initials

September

Me and My Family

—

Shades of Brown

Circle

Mm, Aa

October

Real and Make Believe

Halloween

Orange, Black

Triangle

Tt, Hh, Ee

November

The Farm and the City

Thanksgiving

Orange, Yellow, Red, Brown

Square

Ff, Ll, Ii

December

Baby It’s Cold Outside

Holidays

White & Shades of Blue

Octagon

Bb, Ww, Cc, Hh

January

Birds in My Neighborhood

—

Purple

Hexagon

Zz, Qq, Ww, Kk

February

Amphibians and Reptiles

Valentine’s Day

Dark Green

Pentagon

Vv, Bb, Oo

March

Animals: A Walk on the Wild Side

—

Yellow, Orange

Octagon

Jj, Nn, Gg, Zz

April

Oceans and Ocean Life

Easter

Shades of Blue

Oval

Dd, Pp, Uu, Xx

May

Insects and Spiders

Mother’s Day

Shades of Green

Rectangle

Ss, Rr, Yy

June

Authors and Illustrators

Father’s Day

Rainbow

All Shapes

All Letters

July

America and Exploring Florida

Fourth of July

Red, White, Blue

Star

Straight Line Letters

When a child is genuinely curious about the topic — ocean life, fairy tales, jungle animals — they pay attention. They ask questions. They remember what they learn. The result: children who love learning arrive at kindergarten ahead of the curve.

Tracking Progress

You’ll know How Your Child is Doing.

We don’t wait until something is wrong to talk to parents. We build progress tracking into our program from day one.

At the start of the year

In-house assessments based on the BCCT Curriculum help us understand which goals each child has already mastered and which to focus on ahead.

Throughout the year

Assessment results guide lesson planning. Teachers communicate frequently about achievements and the goals they're working toward.

One month before year-end

Teachers complete a final assessment so you have time to review progress and prepare for the next year — or kindergarten.

What we assess:

  • Language and literacy skills
  • Number sense and early math
  • Fine and gross motor development
  • Social-emotional skills
  • Self-help and independence
  • Cognitive and problem-solving skills

How We Approach Behavior

Children gain independence and self-control by learning to trust others and by learning the appropriate ways to take initiative while respecting other people.
In our preschool program, children are encouraged to:
  • Make good choices
  • Use reasoning skills
  • Practice listening
  • Express their feelings
  • Understand their emotions

Our approach:

  • When a child behaves in a negative manner, teachers redirect their interests to another activity
  • If a child needs a moment to reset, they are offered a quite place to relax and regain self-control.
  • Once calm, the teacher explains the positive behavior to practice going forward

Our teachers encourage parent-teacher conferences to be able to share information, ideas, and progress regarding each their child. A parent’s feedback, suggestions, and direction are highly valued at Scottsdale Academy.

Staying in the Loop

You should always know what your child did today.

Parent communication is a priority for all staff members at Scottsdale Academy.

For children under 3 — Lillio App

For classrooms with children under age three, we use Lillio — a free app that keeps you updated throughout the day. You’ll see:
  • Diapering and pottying updates
  • Feeding and meal information
  • Nap times and duration Daily lesson plans
  • Photos from activities
Teachers and parents can also message each other directly through Lillio.

For children 3 and Older — Lillio App

For preschool-aged children, we communicate the daily curriculum – a rundown of the day’s activities, themes, and lesson plans. Parents are encouraged to use it to start conversations at home:
  • Tell me about the manners book from circle time.”
  • “What letters did you work on today?”
  • “In your science project, what happened to the penny when the vinegar touched it?
Teachers and parents can also message each other directly through Lillio.

Ready to take the next step?

Tours are by appointment. We would love for your family to come visit and see the energy of Scottsdale Academy come to life.

Schedule Tour
View Tuition & Fees