By Terry Georgia
The Surveyor

The Learning Experience Academy of Early Education (TLE) is a national, curriculum-focused, preschool opening in Berthoud in early 2024. The construction of the new school is well underway, just north of Adams Bank & Trust near the corner of Mountain Avenue and Berthoud Parkway.

TLE goes beyond the standard daycare model, focusing on developmental activities appropriate for age groups from six weeks to six years old.

“We want to become an extension of family,” said Heather Din, TLE Regional Director for Region 2, which encompasses any state in the country that doesn’t touch the Atlantic Ocean. The national franchise chain originated in 1980 and currently has 15 locations in Colorado from Colorado Springs to Ft. Collins and Greeley. The Berthoud location will begin as a corporate-owned location that may later be available for purchase by a franchisee. Each TLE location is headed by a Center Leader who is hired by a team from TLE headquarters. The Center Leader is then responsible for hiring teachers. Din said that nine times out of ten they prefer hiring people who are local to the community where the center is located because the company is committed to local community involvement. Open positions are not currently listed on the TLE career site for the Berthoud location but should be posted in the coming months.

TLE resists the label “daycare” instead, preferring to be seen as an early education center, focused on physical, social, emotional and academic development. Over the last 40 years, the company has developed a curriculum called L.E.A.P. (Learning Experience Academic Program) which focuses on learning by “exploring and doing.” Each center is divided into classrooms, defined by age and development. According to the TLE website, the following are goals set for each room:

• Infants include babies from six weeks to one year old. Goals in these early months are to build gross and fine motor skills; develop communication by vocalization and gestures (pointing/infant sign language) to obtain adults’ attention; learn how to crawl and walk and build age-appropriate first-year developmental milestones.
• Toddlers are one to two years old. Goals in this room are to: explore and build small and large muscles with toddler exercises; develop skills to communicate wants and needs; introduce shapes, colors, numbers and letters; participate in purposeful play and access to outdoor activities and start to build a vocabulary of single words.
• Twaddlers are 2 to 2-1/2 years old. The goals here are to: build vocabulary and use simple sentences; develop movement and physical abilities (stack blocks, kick a ball, stand on toes, etc.); complete simple activities to build confidence and independence; identify letters, numbers, shapes and colors; be exposed to penmanship by scribbling with a variety of writing utensils.
• Preppers are 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years old. Their goals include: building vocabulary and using sentences; answering simple questions to make predictions; recognizing letters, numbers, shapes and colors independently; participating in potty training skills and developing skills needed to be ready for preschool.
• Preschoolers are ages 3-5 years. Their goals are: exposure to all letters and sounds as a language foundation for preschool-level reading and writing; completing journal entries to gain confidence in letter formation and handwriting; comparing and grouping like objects by a variety of attributes; becoming confident with math concepts (numbers 1-30, skip counting, etc.); immersion in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities for critical thinking and experimenting with hands-on learning.
• Kindergarteners are 5-6 year-olds whose goals are: academic instruction with content that meets and exceeds national standards of excellence (Common Core Mathematics and the Next Generation Science Standards); instruction that supports various learning styles, including visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners; skills and concepts presented using brilliant images, hands-on learning labs, and technology experiences. This level also includes various forms of assessment (teacher observation, student portfolio, written assessment, hands-on performance-based assessments) as opportunities to demonstrate mastery and understanding.

Depending on state regulations regarding classroom size, the average TLE is designed to accommodate 150 to 160 children.

Perhaps the most visible and endearing aspect of TLE preschools are the colorful characters infused into the decor and learning objectives throughout the school. “Bubbles,” a smiling blue elephant is the main mascot of TLE. Each character has a unique personality and particular trait that supports an aspect of TLE’s wide-ranging curriculum. More than 90 characters have been developed by TLE to help teach and inspire children in different ways. Some of the key characters include:
Flexi the Flamingo, a fitness instructor who advocates an active lifestyle and healthy food.
Lionstein, a lion focused on science.
Phoebe, the llama who loves books and reading.
Two Plus Tucan, a bird devoted to math.
A critter named Penny who demonstrates honesty, kindness, etiquette and good manners.
Bongo Bear, who shares his love of music.
Tito Toro the bull and Ping the Panda, who help children learn Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.
Om the Octopus, who guides yoga for calmness and flexibility and
Billy Shakes, the goat who shares his love of theater and the arts.

Heather Dins, who has worked in the early childhood education industry for 22 years, says the characters set TLE apart. “The characters help resonate the learning objectives.” she says, “It’s so great to see the “AHA!” moments, like when I hear one of the children say, “Penny Polite says you should say please and thank you.” Those moments tell Din the curriculum is working well.

TLE’s founder, Michael Weissman, opened his first TLC preschool in 1980. In the years since, the Weissman family has grown the business substantially to reach communities across the country. As fervent supporters of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Weissman family, along with the staff and TLE families, have raised over $2.5 million in support of Make-A-Wish. Grace & Charity, a pair of TLE dog characters that promote generosity and philanthropy, much like the Weissman family, encourage generous involvement in every TLE community.

When asked about tuition rates, TLE public relations consultant, Jamie Szwiec, said in an email: “We have not yet finalized the tuition rates for this school as it is still in development. We are in line with other national brands, and the new center will be in line with others in the area.”

A search of reviews for TLE yielded generally positive remarks from parents who said they were happy with the programs. A few former teachers complained about workload and unpaid overtime. Overall, the reviews were positive. It is important to note that because TLE is a franchise operation, individual site directors and teachers can make a big difference. Once the staff at Berthoud’s new TLE preschool is hired, research and in-person interviews would be prudent prior to enrollment.

For more information about The Learning Experience, curriculum and employment opportunities, visit: www.thelearningexperience.com.