Prepare for liftoff!
In response to the growing need for quality early childhood education for all children ages three to five in our community, Starting Point Preschool will be launching this month. It opened its doors this past Monday in Williamsport. According to a news release from BLaST, under whose auspices the new preschool will operate, this new preschool will provide limitless learning in a safe and nurturing environment.
“We are excited to open Starting Point Preschool in response to our community’s growing need for high-quality preschool. With our longstanding commitment to educational excellence, our experienced team looks forward to supporting families in fostering an early love for learning,” Dr. Christina Steinbacher-Reed, Executive Director of BLaST, told Webb Weekly.
Starting Point Preschool features:
• Qualified and experienced teaching staff
• Structured, evidence-based curriculum
• Limited class size for optimal learning
• Individualized attention
• Safe, clean, and caring environment
• Easy access off of Reach Road
Child-Centered Learning:
Classrooms are thoughtfully organized with hands-on materials that encourage children to explore, discover, and engage at their own pace. Lessons promote choice, and activities foster a sense of responsibility and independence while helping children develop self-regulation skills.
Mixed-Age Classrooms:
Classrooms include children of various ages, typically grouped in 3-year spans (e.g., 3–5 years old). This structure allows younger children to learn from older peers while encouraging leadership and cooperative learning.
Hands-On Learning Materials:
They use a variety of carefully selected materials that support sensory exploration and active learning. From practical life skills like pouring and buttoning to math and language manipulatives, our materials are designed to engage children’s curiosity and build foundational skills through exploration and discovery.
Focus on Practical Life Skills:
The program emphasizes the development of life skills such as dressing, cleaning, cooking, and self-care. These activities not only promote independence, but also help children develop fine and gross motor skills, focus, concentration, and a sense of responsibility.
Respect for the Individual Child:
Each child has a unique developmental timeline, interests, and learning style. Our teachers act as guides, observing each child’s progress and tailoring lessons to meet their specific needs and strengths. We celebrate differences and encourage each child to reach their full potential.
Emotional and Social Development:
They believe that learning extends beyond academics to include building strong social and emotional skills. Through collaborative activities, peaceful conflict resolution, and community-building projects, we help children develop empathy, self-awareness, and positive relationships with others.
Natural Environment:
Lessons encourage outdoor learning and time spent in nature. Whether through gardening, nature walks, or outdoor play, children develop a connection to the natural world and learn about the environment around them.
Prepared Environment:
Classrooms are designed to support exploration and independence. Organized spaces with age-appropriate materials empower children to navigate their learning journey, fostering curiosity and confidence as they engage in purposeful, meaningful activities.
Curriculum Overview
Starting Point’s innovative curriculum integrates 35 evidence-based skills across seven developmental domains through engaging, playful learning experiences. Children naturally progress in critical areas like social-emotional, physical, cognitive, and language skills through interactive games and discovery-based activities.
Their approach emphasizes
– Sensory-rich, hands-on play
– Movement-integrated daily routines
– Interdisciplinary, multi-sensory learning
– Comprehensive skill development across domains
Each child’s learning progressions are developed through both spontaneous and intentional observations, ensuring a holistic view of developmental progress.
The curriculum transforms learning into an immersive, dynamic experience where children explore, grow, and develop fundamental skills through enjoyable, meaningful interactions.
Some background about BLaST: BLaST IU 17 is one of 29 Intermediate Units (IUs) across the Commonwealth. IUs were created in 1971 as an act of the General Assembly to serve as educational services agencies. Over the last almost fifty years, IU 17’s services have grown and changed. Yet, their mission is still focused on providing educational services to public and non-public schools across Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, and Tioga Counties.
‘BLaST’ is an acronym representing our four-county service region of Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, and Tioga counties.
BLaST IU 17 is the largest geographic IU in PA, covering almost 4,000 square miles. They serve 19 public schools, two career centers, and 12 non-public schools.
BLaST’s vision is to ‘transform lives and communities through educational services’.
With a staff of almost 400 employees, they provide services within three major divisions: student services, educational planning, and technology. Within each of these divisions, BLaST’s highly skilled staff fulfill their daily mission to provide, create, and facilitate high-quality educational solutions.
The Division of Student Services is the largest division, providing direct services to students ages birth to age 21 in the areas of early intervention, alternative education, partial hospitalization programs, special education classrooms, one-on-one job coaching, and itinerant services such as speech and occupational therapy.
Families interested in providing their children with a strong educational foundation can learn more and enroll at startingpointprek.org.
