Imagine your kindergarten student reading fluently just months after beginning the first year of elementary school.
Self Development Academy (SDA) kindergarten students are achieving this goal halfway through their first year of school. SDA, an award-winning public charter school (grades kindergarten through eight), provides students with a unique and advanced academic program. This accelerated program begins with the kindergarten year.
The kindergarten program allows students to begin their educational learning experience in a nurturing and intellectually stimulating environment. The curriculum introduces kindergarten and first-grade curriculum and encourages concept mastery and academic confidence. The kindergarten program prepares children to learn key subject matter, which yields knowledge for a successful classroom transition for first grade.
The school’s success focuses on teaching children the advanced curriculum in a structured and methodical approach. The classroom concentrates on mastery of math, reading and writing. Students learn phonemic awareness, sight words, spelling, writing and reading within each lesson.
By the end of the year, children are reading at or above first-grade level, writing grammatically complete sentences and authoring their own books. Mathematical components include number concepts and introduction to addition and subtraction, with daily math facts, fact families and word problems.
In addition to the strong academic curriculum, SDA is committed to developing well-rounded students. Kindergarten students participate in weekly music, art and physical education classes. The use of technology is integrated into the curriculum to reinforce concepts, as well.
SDA was born from Self Development Preschool (SDP), located directly next door to the charter school. More than 17 years ago, the owner of SDP, now also the superintendent of SDA, was urged by preschool parents to open a charter school.
The preschool parents desired an alternative to a traditional kindergarten program, continuing the cognitive, physical and social development started at the preschool. In 2000, Dr. Anjum Majeed opened Self Development Charter School, now SDA. SDA consistently has been ranked among Arizona’s top schools locally and statewide.
With a strong academic curriculum, weekly specials and caring staff, SDA kindergarten students have a wonderful first-year experience. In addition, they are well prepared for first grade.
If you would like to learn more about SDA, please contact the front office at (480) 641-2640. SDA is located at 1709 N. Greenfield Road.