Our Revolutionary Curriculum
The Cranium Academy difference is a unique, revolutionary approach designed to liberate learning.
Our preschool and elementary school curriculum soars beyond memorizing facts and figures to a higher goal of active critical thinking and creative problem solving.
We believe that there is a gap in traditional curriculum which focuses on memorizing, then moving on. At Cranium Academy, our curriculum goes beyond memorization to active thinking. Students move past ‘what,’ into ‘how’ and ‘why,’ developing lifelong learning advantages.
Cranium Academy curriculum is designed to help children acquire the knowledge they need to perform at an accelerated level in school, while encouraging and allowing them to discover how to apply that knowledge to the world around them. Whether attending our Winter Garden – Windermere or East Orlando – Lake Nona location, our revolutionary teaching techniques give children the opportunity to experience key critical learning concepts, developing life-long learning advantages and a true love of learning!
Schedule a Tour
The best way to see what we do is to come see for yourself. We believe you will clearly see what makes Cranium Academy so special! Please contact us to schedule a tour of either our Winter Garden – Windermere or East Orlando (near Lake Nona) locations today.
Curriculum
At Cranium Academy, our exclusive curriculum is designed to build cognitive and critical thinking skills while tapping into each child’s ultimate learning potential. Starting as early as preschool, and extending into our private elementary school, our unique combination of advanced learning and creative discovery builds confidence and a lifetime love of learning.
Advantages of Our Exclusive Curriculum
- Offers individualized, custom learning paths for each child based off of ongoing skill assessment and analysis
- Skillfully balances state-of-the-art, technology-based learning with hands-on exploration
- Develops critical thinking, cognitive and communication skills, while building a child’s focus, confidence and creativity
- Covers an exceptional range of topics including languages, art, music, astronomy, earth science, biology, travel, physics, nature, weather, wildlife, economics, public speaking, and character development
- Accelerates learning, helping even our youngest preschool students move beyond ABCs and 123s into critical thinking, foreign language, art, science, and more
- Measures one full grade year ahead of the highest national common core standards in reading and math for kindergarten through fifth grade
- Inspires creativity, critical thinking, character & leadership in every student
Additional details about our curriculum:
Advanced Reading & Math – Custom Learning Paths
Traditional school curriculum is centered around teaching all children in a class the same skills. Cranium Academy was founded to solve this problem. We test and monitor students throughout the year while providing a custom learning path for each child that is integrated into their reading and math learning journeys throughout each day.
Critical Thinking – Explorers
In addition to advanced reading and math, Cranium Academy offers our exclusive Cranium Explorers program featuring Montessori type critical thinking lesson plans that cover the four scientific domains: life, earth, physical and process science. Through Cranium Explorers, children build creativity, focus, communication, confidence, critical thinking and cognitive skills while exploring topics such as:
- Earth Science
- Astronomy
- Weather
- Wildlife
- Economics
- Energy
- Physics
- Dinosaurs
- World Travel
- Theatre
Students not only learn about the weather, they become junior meteorologists who can predict the climate using critical thinking skills. They don’t just learn about dinosaurs, they become young paleontologists embarking on journeys through time to explore what life was like in prehistoric times. At Cranium Academy, students go beyond ‘what’ to explore ‘how’ and ‘why,’ discovering a true love of learning along the way.
Art
Cranium Academy recognizes the importance of art as a language, and an important form of self expression. Our teachers utilize two core art programs, along with art integration within other programs such as science, social studies and reading. Art highlights include:
- Preschool through sixth grade art curriculum that meets all national art and state specific art standards.
- An animated interactive art program that teaches students the “language” of art while developing critical thinking.
- Exploration of art history, including appreciation of art periods, styles, famous pieces and museums around the world.
Music Education
At Cranium Academy, we value music as a powerful learning tool which helps children develop into well-rounded individuals, enhances communication and cognitive skills, and expands abilities in other academic areas. Our exciting music education program makes the study of music fun, fully engaging each child to stimulate retention and overall learning capacity. While even our youngest students begin to discover marvelous beats and rhythms, our CAPS students travel along interactive musical journeys exploring:
- Music theory
- Instruments and ensembles
- Composers and music history
- Music styles and genres
- Musical composition
- Music around the world, and more!
Writing
Cranium Academy uses base components of our core kindergarten through sixth grade writing program in our preschool to give even our youngest students a head start in fine motor skill development. This program links writing as a form of expression, while focusing on fun and achievement.
Social Studies
With our dynamic social studies program, Cranium Academy students discover the world around them, expanding their minds beyond the walls of their own home or school setting. As they are introduced to global connections and culture, children strengthen individual social development and identity. While even our youngest students are exposed to holidays and traditions around the world, our advanced CAPS curriculum supports the National Council for the Social Studies and state early-childhood standards as children explore concepts such as:
- Culture
- Community
- Government
- Global connections
- Civic ideals and practices
- Science, technology and society
- Needs and wants, good and services
Language
Cranium Academy curriculum introduces languages such as Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL) while taking children on virtual journeys throughout the world. They learn about famous places and how children use language to live, learn, and play within various cultures.
Character Education
Cranium Character, our exclusive ongoing character education program, integrates character education and positive discipline techniques throughout each day. Students benefit from:
- Engaging character education focused on building character traits such as trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship
- Fun character curriculum utilizing real world scenarios and creative strategies that match emerging cognitive abilities
- Positive discipline techniques that nurture the development of life skills, while encouraging ethical and responsible behavior
Physical Education
Integrating physical activity with cognitive learning strengthens gross motor skills and confidence, and has been shown to benefit academic achievement. All Cranium Academy students benefit from various indoor and outdoor play opportunities each week. For our CAPS students, our physical education program incorporates more structured active play and sports each week in our gym and outdoor play areas, as well as a large outdoor playing field nearby. Laying a foundation for a healthy lifestyle that they will carry with them throughout their lives, our physical education program is designed to:
- Strengthen muscles, bones, and joints
- Enhance social and motor skill development
- Increase learning capacity
- Improve self-confidence, concentration, and coordination