Mariner's Star Child Development Center

Programs and Features We Offer:

Sign Language

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Our center incorporates American Sign Language into our daily schedules for the infant room as well as the toddler room.  We strongly believe that babies are capable of communicating their needs through ASL before they develop speech skills.  Our staff strives to comfort every child by making the most of educational options—therefore, we embrace the learning experience by teaching signs to babies from the start. It is our mission to reap the benefits of using ASL in our curriculum.  Teaching ASL to infants and toddlers between the ages of 6 months to 36 months facilitates communication between child and caregiver.  When babies learn to sign this provides him or her with a powerful educational tool of developing early communication.  Learning ASL does not delay speech, but in fact aids to speech development. That is why each and every day signing is practiced as means of communication at Mariner’s Star Child Development Center.


Educational Interactions Thru Art

Creative Spaces is an art program that our center offers to children daily during free choice time in the evening (from 3:45 pm – 5:30 pm). Children increase their fine motor skills through painting, craft making, and modeling with clay during this time. The art activities produce a final product that the child is able to take home with them, encouraging conversation among parents and children to discuss their day. Creative Spaces is an open environment that allows the children to engage in the activity in which ever way they feel most interested in.  
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Multi-Sensory Experiences with Music

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Music lessons occur at our center once a week on Tuesday’s in place of morning free-choice activities and last for approximately 30 minutes. These lessons incorporate different creative musical activities using instruments, dance, imaginative play, and singing. The instructor, Ms. Johnson, specifically develops music lessons for young children that accommodate the growing interests of each age group. Our center believes that music and movement should be incorporated into the curriculum because it provides children with information about tempo, pitch and dynamics as well as introducing them to a variety of musical genres. The lessons provide children with a unique multisensory experience and social interactions with peers. 

Creative Movement and Expression: Dance

Dance and free-movement lessons are incorporated into our program once a week. These lessons are taught by a volunteer community member, Sandy Michelson, in the programs gym area. Dance and free-movement lessons take place of outdoor play every Wednesday afternoon and each lesson lasts for approximately thirty minutes. These lessons give children the opportunity to relax, move around freely, expand their imagination and become familiar with their body movements. 
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Parent Workshops and Activities

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We offer informative workshops for the parents and guardians of our children in our program two times a month. The workshops are available Thursday evening from 7:00pm-9:00pm and are held in the programs gymnasium. These workshops are run by the program’s Director, other staff members, parents and occasional special guests who specialize in the topic that week. Each workshop has a specific topic at hand that was decided based on parent/guardian survey’s in the beginning of the year. At the end of each workshop parents and guardians will be able to speak among each other, discuss school volunteer opportunities, review upcoming events, speak freely about any other concerns etc.  

Located at: 2596 Chestnut Dr. South Lyon, Mi 48179   Phone: (517) 959-3684