Debbie Sheppard has always believed the old adage that it takes a village to raise a child, and that is exactly what Green Door Preschool offers to parents of preschoolers. Children learn first and foremost at home, but there are other things that Green Door Preschool provides to help children transition to a school environment. “We help them with that learning curve,” says Debbie. “Personal space, for example: sharing toys with other kids, learning how to deal with their peers, things like that.”
Green Door Preschool has programs for children from three-to-five years old until they’re ready to go to kindergarten. Debbie designed the programs herself. “When I took over the business, the program was totally focused on playing,” she says. “But I’m a firm believer that children thrive with structure, and although we offer both structured and unstructured activities, there is still structure.” One example is in learning to write. Three-year-olds are taught name recognition right away, then they learn to write their names at the next level. In junior kindergarten, they'll write their names in both lower- and upper-case letters. When the children get to kindergarten, Debbie says teachers recognize the difference and tell parents they know their child went to Green Door Preschool.
