6.4 In Person Tours

Chapter 2 Business Operations> Section 6 Enrollment

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Overview/Purpose
• 6.4.1 Pre-Tour Process
• 6.4.2 Welcoming the Tour
• 6.4.3 Transition 1 - Needs Analysis
• 6.4.4 Transition 2 - Security Feature Demonstration (Front Door)
• 6.4.5 Transition 3 – Introduction to COA Mind & Body Matters
• 6.4.6 Transition 4 – On the Way to the Classroom
• 6.4.7 Transition 5 – Observation Windows and ALWAYS CLOSE BY
• 6.4.8 Transition 6 - Family Board
• 6.4.9 Transition 7 - Classroom Introduction
  • Teacher Engagement
  • Classroom Boards
  • Engaging the Child
  • Learning Areas
• 6.4.10 Transition 8 – Outdoor Learning Environments and City Place
• 6.4.11 Transition 9 – Closing the Tour
• 6.4.12 Mind & Body Matters
  • STAR Curriculum: Success Through Academic Readiness
  • Just Read Book Series
  • Presidential Fitness Program
  • An Apple A Day Nutrition
• 6.4.13 Program/Classroom Specific Considerations:
  • Infant Rooms
  • Toddler Rooms
  • Pre-School Rooms
  • School-Age Rooms
  • Shared Learning Experience
• 6.4.14 Tour Tools & Resources
• 6.4.15 Other Programs and Highlights

Overview/Purpose

The purpose of an in-person tour is to provide prospective families with a comprehensive and firsthand look at our school. During the tour, families can assess the environment, meet the staff, and observe the daily activities and routines. This allows them to evaluate whether the school's atmosphere, programs, and values align with their own expectations and needs for their child's care and education. The tour also offers an opportunity for families to ask questions, discuss specific concerns, and better understand how the school will cater to their child's development and well-being. Overall, an in-person tour helps families make an informed decision about enrolling their child at Children of America.

6.4.1 Pre-Tour Process

The pre-tour process is the series of steps taken before a prospective family visits Children of America for a tour. This process helps ensure that the visit is productive and tailored to the family's needs. Here’s a breakdown of what it typically involves:

Reviewing Upcoming Tours

• Identify if the visit is a scheduled appointment or a walk-in.
• If it’s a walk-in tour, enter the family’s information into Unity to prepare for the visit.

Preparation for the Tour

• Review any previous interactions with the family, including COA Unity notes, to tailor the tour to their specific interests and needs.
• Ensure that all necessary materials and information, such as brochures, tour folders and inserts and enrollment forms are ready for the family.
• Review notes to ensure the tour is confirmed and call the family again to confirm the date and time and how to get to the school.

Communication and Coordination

• Inform teachers about the upcoming tour and their roles in the process.
• Ensure that all logistical details, such as the tour schedule and any special requests from the family, are confirmed.

6.4.2 Welcoming the Tour

Except for walk-in tours, management should be up front waiting for the arrival of all scheduled tours.   Welcoming the tour to the facility includes:

• Meeting the family at the vestibule door
• Greeting them with a warm welcome and introduction including a welcome to the location, name, and title.
• Transition to the Directors office where the formal tour process begings

6.4.3 Transition 1 - Needs Analysis

Starting the formal part of the tour in the Director’s office is a critical first step in delivering a great tour and failing to conduct a thorough Needs Analysis is considered a non-starter.  

• Start the tour in the director’s office to establish rapport – get to know the parent(s) and engage with the child(ren)
• Conduct a thorough Needs Analysis to gain key understanding of each family’s specific needs, values, motivation for seeking care and expectations about todays visit.   
• The Needs Analysis form will become the basis for much of the tour.

6.4.4 Transition 2 - Security Feature Demonstration (Front Door)

The walking portion of the tour begins back at the front door for a safety feature demonstration.

The Features that should be highlighted include:

• Showcase the vestibule area, emphasizing that the outer door is always locked to enhance safety.
• Explain the sign-in process for enrolled families, noting that they are required to use a touch screen to log their entry.
  1. Detail how each parent is issued a unique code, which is only functional if the family is enrolled, ensuring that only authorized individuals have access to the facility.
  2. Remind families about tailgating!
• Explain how the push bar works and how it mitigates children from being able to run out of the building.

6.4.5 Transition 3 – Introduction to COA Mind & Body Matters

While still in the lobby area give a brief explanation of our curriculum, COA Mind & Body Matters using signage and other tools available.  Use this introduction to COA Mind & Body Matters to both reiterate we are educational, referring to previous conversations, and setting expectations for discussion around the 4 components of COA Mind & Body Matters throughout the tour.

At Children of America – we are an early educational childcare program that believes in developing the whole child. Our curriculum is called Mind & Body Matters – and it support: 

• Social – Emotional 
• Intellectual and 
• Physical Growth 

Our proprietary program is comprised of 4 key components; STAR Curriculum, Presidential Fitness, Just Read, and Apple – A – Day, our nutrition program.

6.4.6 Transition 4 – On the Way to the Classroom

While transitioning from the lobby/vestibule area to the applicable classroom our common areas present great opportunities to discuss various aspects of our programming.

Below are some key areas to highlight:

• Hallway Boards – discuss that every board has a purpose, explain our learning experience sheets.
  1. Connect what you discuss back to a component of the curriculum.
• Teacher Bio Boards – if applicable highlight key staff, including the teacher for the program in question.
• Family of the Month
• Bentley Boards
• Other Signage

6.4.7 Transition 5 – Observation Windows and ALWAYS CLOSE BY

Our buildings are all constructed with safety in mind.  A critical safety and supervision component of our program are our observation windows.

Outside of each classroom and between most classrooms you will find observation windows. These windows should not be obstructed.

Observation Window Highlights:

• Windows allow parents and management to observe the rooms without disruption.  
• Windows between rooms allow for teachers to observe other teachers discouraging inappropriate behavior and easily identifiable emergencies.
• Begin the discussion about the classroom through the observation window to highlight what to expect during the next steps and literally demonstrate how it to use it.

Always Close By Highlights:

• Discuss camera placement
• Explain Free Trial
• Connect Features and benefits back to needs analysis

6.4.8 Transition 6 - Family Board

Located outside each classroom you will find the Family Board.  The Family board is a key communication tool at Children of America and critical highlight area for each tour. It keeps families informed about the children’s learning activities, the weekly lesson plan, the classroom schedule, and the menu.

The family board includes:

• Academic Plan provides families with our shape of the month, letter of the month, color, and moral.
• Lesson Plan is developed by the teachers which includes large group, small group outside time, planning, and worktime for our preschoolers.
• Typical Daily Schedule that the children follow to help with their consistency and their daily routines.
• Weekly Menu, the menu informs the families what is being served for breakfast, lunch, and snack.
• Monthly Newsletter.
• Additionally, USDA schools must hang required posters.

6.4.9 Transition 7 - Classroom Introduction

Teacher Engagement

During the tour, parents are brought into the classroom to see where their child will be spending their time.

Families must be introduced to the teacher and the teacher must engage with the family – the goal is to highlight how personable and professional our teachers are. Teachers should introduce themselves, including a handshake and brief introduction.

In addition to highlighting the classroom environment teachers should be prepared to discuss:

• Themselves
• The current activities underway and how they fit into the actual daily schedule.
• The daily schedule
• The current activity, how it works and why it’s important to the child(ren) development.
• Explain key concepts like Themes, Letters of the week/month etc. and connect them back to the curriculum.
• This interaction helps parents visualize their child's routine and fosters trust in the care provided.

Classroom Boards

The following boards should be displayed in all of the classrooms and can be incorporated into the tour as appropriate. Please note it is not a requirement to talk about all of these boards, however, it is necessary to talk about the boards that closely tie into the activities being observed at the time of a tour.

• Educational Boards
  1. Math Readiness
  2. Literacy Readiness
  3. Planning Board Key
  4. Developmental Indicators of Success (KDI Poster)
  5. Actual Daily Schedule
  6. Baby Signs (Infant Toddlers)
• Supporting Boards
  1. Birthday Board
  2. Family Board
  3. Art Board
  4. Steps in Resolving Conflict with Children (not on a bulletin board, just to be displayed)

Engaging the Child

It’s important to engage the child in learning that is taking place in classroom unless it is nap time or the activity is prohibitive.

This step can be done in a multitude of ways including:

• Allow the teacher and the parent to have a conversation and transition the child over to the classroom activity – this is a great way to allow the parent(s) and the teacher to build a relationship.
• Allow the child to join if there is adequate supervision while all parties discuss the classroom and program.

Learning Areas

Children of America classrooms are designed to promote independent and cooperative learning through distinct learning areas. Each Area is thoughtfully arranged to facilitate different types of play and exploration.

Typical Areas include:

• Art
• Block
• House
• Literacy
• Logic
• Math
• Music
• Science and
• Sensory

Additionally, teachers work alongside children to maintain a clean, organized, and engaging environment.

6.4.10 Transition 8 – Outdoor Learning Environments and City Place

At the conclusion of the classroom portion of the tour families should be lead through the remaining common areas of the schools with very purposeful stops to explore our Outdoor Learning Environments and City Place.

Just like in the classroom – these unique learning environments are great places to engage the child(ren) on the tour.  Let them join the activities and try the equipment with the parents permission.

The following areas should be highlighted for each area:

• Outdoor Learning (Playground)
  1. Just like the classroom, we bring age-appropriate activities outside of the classroom.  Providing the children with activities versus pure free play helps mitigate risk of injury.
  2. We have a older, preschool outdoor learning environment and a younger, twos and toddlers outdoor learning environment.  Each respective side has age appropriate equipment.
  3. Highlight safety features including the turf or pour in place surface as well as engineered fall zones around each piece of equipment.
• City Place
  1. City place is great for indoor large motor development and dramatic play.
  2. Highlight how City Place is used at your school and some of the unique equipment found there.

6.4.11 Transition 9 – Closing the Tour

All tours formally begin and end in the office.  As you transition back to the office this is your chance to highlight any areas of the school you did not discuss yet that you believe will influence a family’s decision.

Closing the tour should follow the below flow:

• Recap the tour and re-highlight any area you feel was important to the family based on the initial needs analysis.
  1. This should be very conversational – you are looking for acknowledgement that what you covered on the tour truly meets the family’s needs.
  2. Be prepared to revisit any areas that remain a question or in doubt based on the family’s responses.
• Align on the schedule, program, and present pricing.
  1. Review the Rate Sheet (Rate Menu) with the family and wait for them to respond.  Do not oversell the Rate Sheet (Rate Menu), simply show the options and wait for their response!
• Ask for the sale – although this is the hardest part, its an easy question if you know that your program meets or exceeds the family’s needs.
  1. When would you like to start.  It’s that simple!
  2. Overcome the objections until you reach a final decision.
• Assuming you closed the tour focus on thoroughly explaining next steps
  1. The deposit process – this should be handled on site used credit card.
  2. The intake meeting – set clear expectations and a date for the family to bring any required paperwork in and conduct the meeting.
     • Remember, intake meetings are for reviewing paperwork and orientation!
     • Start Dates can only be confirmed when compliance has cleared the family to start.
  3. Complete all post enrollment steps, including:
     • Updating Unity
     • ProCare

6.4.12 Mind & Body Matters

Understanding that our Mind & Body Matters Curriculum is extensive we have not dictated exactly when during a tour each component of the tour should be discussed, however, it is important that we do discuss each component during the part of the tour that is most appropriate.

Remember Mind & Body Matters supports Social – Emotional, Intellectual and Physical Growth through 4 components. 

Below is a summary of each of the 4 components of Mind & Body Matters:

STAR Curriculum: Success Through Academic Readiness

Using the Plan, Do, Review approach, our teachers offer physical, emotional and academic support in an active environment. The power of this approach becomes clear as children learn to problem solve through experiences, using higher-level thought processing and critical thinking skills. Teachers get to interact and is a great time for the teachers to do observations, assessments, and ask open ended questions.

Just Read Book Series

Cultivating children’s literacy is paramount to our mission. To support that belief, we create interactive books featuring the company’s mascot Bentley, a feisty Jack Russell Terrier. Our books are published online and compatible with mobile devices and tablets for easy access anywhere, any time. We take this opportunity to encourage our parents to take 15 minutes a day and read to their child.

Presidential Fitness Program

COA is committed to helping children develop a healthy respect for physical fitness. As our children exercise their minds every day, we incorporate a full curriculum of physical activities for endurance and cardiovascular strength. Fitness programming plays an important role in development and works in conjunction with our educational programs. Shake, Wiggle, and Grow is a part of our Presidential Fitness. It’s a gross motor activity that they do every week to get their body moving and some exercise.

An Apple A Day Nutrition

By opening the world of “nourishing” food, children make better food choices and develop a healthy respect for nutrition. Teaching children about nutrition and to appreciate wholesome snacks and meals is fundamental to “Build a Healthy Eating Relationship” laying the groundwork for a lifetime of healthier living. We offer quick menu ideas and healthy tips in our weekly blog that makes mealtime a little less stressful and healthier.

6.4.13 Program/Classroom Specific Considerations:

Like our Curriculum Mind & Body Matters, there are numerous classroom specific considerations that may need to be incorporated into a well-executed tour.  Below are some key considerations by classroom.

Infant Rooms

In Infant Rooms, visual engagement is prioritized by hanging pictures of children and their families at eye level, along with high-frequency objects like shapes, colors, and animals. Mobiles are placed over each changing table, and ceilings are adorned with hanging items to engage babies visually. Teachers can create mobiles that can be adjusted for different times of the day. A baby signs board is displayed to help families support classroom efforts. The focus in infant rooms is on daily care routines, though infants are welcome to participate in art or sensory projects, with the discretion of teachers.

Restrictive Equipment is prohibited in all our infant rooms.  Please discuss with families how why we do not use restrictive equipment, connecting the why back to prioritizing teacher child interactions and how quality standards discourage their use.

Toddler Rooms

In Toddler Rooms, essential boards include a birthday board, family board, baby signs board, monthly mural, number and alphabet line, schedule, and boards for math readiness and literacy readiness. Items are displayed at the children's eye level to encourage language development and discussion through art and learning evidence.

Pre-School Rooms

In Preschool Rooms, similar boards are required: birthday board, family board, monthly mural, planning board, number and alphabet line, schedule, and boards for math readiness and literacy readiness. High-frequency items and evidence of learning activities are displayed to stimulate discussion and promote language skills.

School-Age Rooms

In School-Age Rooms, the focus shifts to student-driven boards, in addition to the standard birthday board, family board, and monthly mural. If kindergarten is present, number lines, math readiness, and literacy readiness boards are also required. Additional boards reflect the students' interests, holidays, or current events, following standard guidelines.

Shared Learning Experience

A shared learning experience refers to an educational activity or process where multiple individuals, such as students and teachers actively participate and engage together in learning. At Children of America in a classroom setting, it involves collaborative activities, discussions, or projects where children learn from one another, as well as from their teacher. This approach fosters social interaction, teamwork, and a sense of community, enhancing cognitive, emotional, and social development. For projects sharing our Learning Experience allows our families to understand what’s happening.

6.4.14 Tour Tools & Resources

To execute a perfect tour, you will need to actively use, or have available the following resources.

• Word Tracks – 1.1 Customer Engagement Initial Phone Call
• Needs Analysis Form
• Tour Guide – Mystery Shop Score Card
• COA Tour iPad Checklist
• Tour Folder & Inserts
  1. O:\Operations All\3-Forms for Operations\1 - Forms Alphabetically\Tour Folder Inserts

6.4.15 Other Programs and Highlights

There is so much more that sets us apart.  Below is a short list of additional programs that can be highlighted during a Tour:

• My COA @ Home
• Guide Reading
• Weekly Enrichment Lesson Videos
• Virtual Workshops & Resources
• JUST READ @ Home
• The “Paw Print”
• Minute With Ted Family Edition