About Me

Me:  My name is Amber Wolford and I am originally from Eastern Utah. I am a wife to Andrew and a mother to three boys ages 7, 5, and 3. Our family has lived in Eagle Mountain for a year and a half and we love it here! I enjoy reading, baking, camping, organizing, spending time with my family and teaching!
Education:  I graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and an emphasis in Social Studies and Spanish. I also had the priviledge of spending time in Argentina as an LDS missionary where I was able to become fluent in Spanish. In 2008 I earned a Master's degree in Bilingual Education from the University of Utah.
Experience: I have spent nearly 11 years in the classroom either observing, assisting, or teaching. My experience ranges from preschool to sixth grade. I was a full time teacher at Midvale Elementary in their Dual Language Program for 3 years. I also participated in neighborhood preschools for two years in Idaho. This will be my 3rd year teaching preschool out of my home. I love teaching and I love interacting with preschool-aged children. They have absorbent minds and a love for learning that is contagious! I look forward to being with them on the beginning of their educational journey.

My Philosophy

Most of my graduate work was focused on the philosophies of education and bilingualism. I learned the most effective methods of teaching and the value of knowing a second language. I even did research on the cognitive advantages of bilingualism and found there to be many. I could go on stating facts and referencing research, but I think the most important thing for you to know as a parent is that your preschooler is a genius who can learn anything and everything. I am going to teach him/her something and plan to have a lot of fun while we're at it! Thank you for taking an interest in Bright Beginnings.

Field Trips/Special Activities

Each month we will participate in a field trip or special activity that corresponds with the monthly theme.

September: Clark Planetarium
October: Dentist Office
December: Christmas Program
January: Cabela's
February: The State Capitol
March: The Living Planet Aquarium
April: Hee Haw Farm
May: Neighborhood hike

*All locations are subject to change

Spanish Emphasis

Something that makes Bright Beginnings so unique is that along with the English vocabulary, reading readiness, and math development, my curriculum also includes a language element. Spanish will be a regular part of the curriculum at Bright Beginnnings Language Preschool. Because it is a bilingual preschool, Spanish will be taught 50% of the time. I use a wonderful curriculum called Sonrisas Spanish School. It was developed especially for preschool and elementary children and meets all of the criteria of an effective program; it is fun, effective and standards-based.

Theme-Based Curriculum

Every month we will focus on a different theme. Most of our activities and instruction will be based around the monthly theme. Here is a list of the themes and subtopics we will be exploring this year.

• September: All About Me- what makes me special, manners, taking care of our bodies
• October: Space- stars, planets, the sun, the moon, astronauts, rockets
• Nov/Dec: Traditions Around the World- Thanksgiving, Christmas, Family Traditions, Cultures around the world
• January: Animals- forest animals, desert animals, arctic animals, jungle animals, domesticated animals
• February: Patriotism- The Pledge of Allegiance, our flag, The National Anthem, obeying the law, the constitution, presidents
• March: The Ocean- plant life and sea creatures
• April: Farm Life- farm equipment, farm animals, crops, harvest
• May: Exploration- famous explorers, pioneers, camping, hiking