SLIDE literacy of Hendersonville

SLIDE is a children's literacy enrichment program for 2-5 year olds, built on multi-sensory techniques and creative play designed to encourage and facilitate a love of reading and learning. SLIDE, which stands for Sensory Literacy Integrated During Enrichment, launched this summer with 11 children attending. In these classes, children explore literacy skills through age-appropriate sensory activities including child process art, science experiments, music, movement, and tactile sensory play!

The founder and lead teacher, Barbi Bernard Brittain, holds the class in her home but also offers customized literacy programs year-round, including seasonal SLIDE summer camps, weekly after-school classes, birthday parties, parent education classes, and professional development courses for teachers. These mobile classes can be brought to the interested school, home or place of business.

Barbi has over 15 years of experience in education ranging from teaching preschool to 2nd grade as well as being the Assistant Director of Curriculum at a Preschool in Houston. She holds Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction and loves to inspire young learners! She has a hard working husband, and a set of 2 year old twins! Rachel Mc Bride, an award winning preschool teacher (Houston’s Martel Award) with over 15 years experience also teaches at SLIDE.

The inspiration to start this preschool came from her noticing a big hole in the area for quality child care. All of the schools she toured were more like daycares and weren’t focusing on engaging children in age appropriate learning experiences. So she wanted to create an exciting extracurricular activity parents could drop their children off for or even have during nap time at schools, which is a future goal she hopes to see come to fruition.

In the picture above, children are participating in a science experiment in the sand.

Here is her description of a typical class..."A typical class starts with a little free play with various sensory toys including thematic sensory book bins and playdough, dramatic play area, blocks, open art easel, etc. When the children feel comfortable and are engaging well we give them a couple more minutes with a heads up we are going to start. We do a welcome song with syllable counting, read our book for the class (sometimes with finger plays and manipulatives) sing a song with movements for the theme. Then then we do our literacy sensory activity which can range from a science experiment to an art project (all child led and process) Typically, each class has a take home and a write up about the pre-literacy skill we have worked on through the experience!"