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Practical guidance and expert insight on early childhood education, half-day preschool, and raising confident, curious learners — from a nationally recognized brand built on Reggio Emilia and Montessori principles.
Twenty-two years ago, on their honeymoon, Jennifer and Drew McWilliams drew a preschool on a cocktail napkin. Business North Carolina’s August issue picks up that story and follows it forward. Ivybrook Academy is now in its 20th year. Roughly 45 campuses are open, several […]
Twenty-six years ago, Amy Cowan stood at the front of a third-grade classroom. Today, she helps lead a preschool franchise with more than 60 campuses open and another 75-plus agreements signed. What happened between then and now is not a straight line. It never […]
There is a particular kind of brand you understand better by watching how its people treat each other than by reading any brochure. Ivybrook Academy’s annual conference, held July 8–10 in Colorado Springs, was that kind of event. The theme was “Relationships: The Heart […]
Quick Answer: Children who spend part of their summer in a structured, play-based program consistently show stronger readiness when the school year begins — in language, social skills, self-regulation, and comfort in a classroom environment. The reasons are specific and well-supported: routines are maintained, […]
Quick Answer: Play-based learning is not a break from development — it is development. Through play, young children build language, executive function, emotional regulation, social skills, and foundational academic concepts in an integrated way that direct instruction rarely replicates. The National Association for the […]
