Scribbles Preschool offers learning and fun
Parents across the Spokane Valley have a new preschool option.
Scribbles Preschool opened in January. Owner and teacher Carol Asmus says her school is dedicated to combining learning with fun.
“It all starts with a scribble,” she says, referring to the beginnings that set a toddler along the path to reading and writing and other development, and how she decided on her new venture’s name.
Asmus’ curriculum combines her 13 years in the field working for other preschools across the state, including three years at a Montessori preschool in Liberty Lake. The opportunity to open her own school fell into place following her family’s decision to continue making the Inland Northwest their home. Her husband is Liberty Lake Police Chief Brian Asmus, who had been contemplating a position that would have returned the family to Western Washington. He decided to stay.
Now, Carol Asmus finds herself enthralled each morning, leading children ages 3 to 6 through the avenues of socialization, creative play and exploration. Her goal is to provide a learning environment that encourages children to build self-help skills and self-confidence through age-appropriate activities that allow them to explore and learn through play.
Students intermingle and have 90 minutes of free time throughout the classroom stations. The remainder of the time is for Asmus to instruct her students and capture their attention with daily activities such as story time, calendar time and talking about numbers and letters
“It’s really fun,” she says. “We just have a really good time and most of the kids don’t want to leave.”
Learning about the letter “M” last week, for example, kept students entertained as Asmus introduced a moose puppet, macaroni necklaces, a marshmallow snack and Mother’s Day projects. They even took a field trip to a post office to mail a letter.
The Scribbles school day is from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Asmus, 41, currently has a total of 11 students who attend various days of the week.
Asmus received her Child Development Associate training five years ago from the Council for Professional Recognition, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that promotes excellence in the early childhood care and education fields.
Asmus currently is accepting fall registration applications and says she will consider an afternoon class if there is demand for it. She offers two-, three- and five-day enrollment options with costs between $147 and $250 per month with a one-time registration fee of $35. Asmus will enroll up to 20 students at Scribbles and will hire an assistant teacher if she has more than 10 students in her classroom at one time.
She also is offering Monday through Friday summer camps starting July 9 for ages 3 to 6. The $75-a-week camps have themes to take students on adventures such as camping, bugs and ocean all from within the classroom.