The Full Circle Curriculum
An early childhood curriculum for infants through Pre-K: thoughtfully designed, tested in real classrooms, and improved every year.
You want more for your child than a place to be watched all day. You want to know they’re learning, growing, and having fun while you’re at work.
At Balanced Family Academy, we designed the Full Circle Curriculum to do just that. Every day blends children’s books, hands-on play, and real skill-building. Your child is not just watched. They’re known.
Why “Full Circle”?
Because great early learning goes beyond the basics. Our curriculum nurtures the whole child: how they think, move, feel, create, and connect. It also supports the whole family around them. It’s our mission in action:
Every child. Every family. Every teacher. Every day.
Curiosity at Heart. Kindergarten in Mind.
Books Are the Glue
Children’s books tie every lesson together. We use them to teach about the world, share different perspectives, and spark creative thinking, all while building a lifelong love of reading.
Real Learning, Not Rote Memorization
Kids learn best by doing. Our hands-on activities line up with Ohio’s Early Learning and Development Standards, so play builds the skills children need for kindergarten.
Daily Brain Builders
Routine helps kids thrive. Each day of the week has a catchy theme, like Messy Monday or Friend Friday, which gives every classroom a fun, predictable rhythm.
A Week That Grows With Your Child
Kids thrive on routine, so we made it fun. Our infants, toddlers, and preschoolers follow Daily Brain Builders, with a catchy theme for every day of the week. In Pre-K, learning shifts to a focused plan built around the skills kids need for their first day of kindergarten.
Collaboration in the City
New sounds, textures, and art experiences give a snapshot of each baby’s growth.
Motor Monday
Reaching, crawling, tunnel play, sit-to-stand toys
Texture Tuesday
Foot painting, sensory bottles, squish bags
Wordy Wednesday
Singalong books, baby sign language, fingerplays
Thumbs Up Thursday
Finger painting, puppets, color mixing
Fun Friday
Themed photoshoots, dance parties, water play
Art, sensory, and movement play made for busy bodies.
Make It Monday
Crafts, group murals, building challenges
Tactile Tuesday
Touch-and-feel books, sticky walls, textured blocks
Winded Wednesday
Yoga, class parades, parachute play
Theme Thursday
Circle-time stories, themed dramatic play
Fine Motor Friday
Sticker collages, sorting with tongs, coloring
We turn up the learning dial with hands-on science, math, and literacy.
Messy Monday
Messy sensory play, mixed-media art, cutting trays
Telescope Tuesday
Science and nature discovery, sorting mats, experiments
Wildlife Wednesday
Animal habits, animal tracks, animal read-alouds
Three-D Thursday
Block play, counting boards, clay sculptures
Friend Friday
Kindness role plays, multicultural read-alouds, team games
The final step before kindergarten. Every part of the Pre-K day builds the skills and confidence kids need to walk into kindergarten ready.
Monthly Kindergarten Focus
Each month, intentional lessons target key skills for a smooth move to kindergarten.
Circle Time Topics
Fresh topics each day spark discussion, questions, and new learning.
Hands-On Learning Centers
Real activities teach literacy, math, science, art, building and engineering, writing, and more.
Whole Child Growth
Social and emotional skills grow alongside academics, building confidence, connection, and self-control.
Time for Free Play
We make space for children to play freely, so the week’s learning has time to sink in.
Eight Areas of Learning, Woven Into Every Day
Together, these eight areas make up the full circle. Every week touches all of them, from a baby’s first sounds to a Pre-K scientist’s first experiment.
Language & Literacy
Children’s books are the glue that holds our curriculum together. Stories build vocabulary and a lifelong love of reading.
Babies hear singalong books and baby sign language. Toddlers join in on felt stories and fingerplays. Older kids practice letters, sounds, and writing their names.
Social & Emotional
Warm, responsive teachers help children name feelings, make friends, and show kindness.
Friend Friday brings greeting games and kindness role plays. Every day, teachers coach children through big feelings, because behavior is communication.
Mathematics
Math starts with play: sorting, counting, and spotting patterns.
Toddlers sort by color. Preschoolers use sorting mats and matching games. Pre-K kids count, build patterns, and try simple adding and subtracting.
Cognitive Development
Children build thinking skills by exploring, testing ideas, and solving problems.
Babies explore discovery baskets and tower tipping. Preschoolers take on building challenges. Pre-K kids learn to explain their thinking: “I did it this way because...”
Physical Development
Busy bodies need to move. Daily play builds strength, balance, and fine motor control.
Babies reach, crawl, and pull to stand on Motor Monday. Toddlers get moving with yoga and parachute play. Older kids build hand strength with tongs and cutting trays.
Science
Little learners ask big questions. We explore them with hands-on experiments and time in nature.
Babies explore sensory bottles and new textures. Preschoolers dig into science and nature on Telescope Tuesday and learn about animals on Wildlife Wednesday.
Creative Development
Creativity is the cornerstone of how we teach. Every child gets room to make, build, and imagine.
Babies try finger and foot painting. Toddlers make group murals together. Preschoolers dive into Messy Monday art, clay, and dramatic play.
Social Studies
Books and lessons help children understand their world and the people in it.
Multicultural read-alouds and themes like community helpers help kids explore family, community, and what makes each of us unique.
How We Teach
Our teachers blend creativity, child development, and insights from psychology. The goal is simple: raise curious, kind, confident learners.
Creativity First
Every child has unique talents. We give them a safe space to express themselves through art, music, stories, and problem-solving.
Child-Centered
Kids learn best when lessons fit their age, needs, and interests. Hands-on play helps them connect ideas to the real world.
Rooted in Psychology
Loving care, active listening, and positive interactions help children feel safe, so they can grow into confident, self-directed learners.
Celebrating Every Family
Multicultural stories and lessons help children see and value differences, in themselves and in others.
Ready for Kindergarten, and Beyond
Getting children ready for kindergarten is one of our top goals. We don’t rely on flash cards and memorizing. We build real skills through real experiences, and we keep you in the loop every step of the way.
Aligned to Ohio standards
Daily activities follow Ohio’s Early Learning and Development Standards.
Monthly progress summaries
Each month we highlight key skills your child is building, so you always know what they’re working on.
Quarterly assessments
Four times a year, teachers check each child’s progress and adjust their support to fit.
Photos and daily updates come straight to your phone through the CareDay app, so you never miss a milestone.
Designed with Care. Tested in Our Classrooms. Better Every Year.
The Full Circle Curriculum is a team effort, and it never stands still.
Designed with care
Experienced early childhood educators, led by our Chief of Teaching and Learning, design every part of the curriculum around Ohio’s Early Learning and Development Standards.
Tested in our classrooms
Our teachers put each lesson into practice and share what’s working. At quarterly Curriculum Meet-Ups, they collaborate on new ideas and better ways to run activities.
Better every year
Each year we refine the curriculum based on teacher feedback, and twice a year our We Grow Together Week contest celebrates their best lesson plans. Our newest update gives Pre-K kids more challenge, with kindergarten readiness built into every week.
Extras That Make Learning Bigger
Extracurricular Activities
Music, movement, art, and nature classes, built into the school day and included in tuition.
Extra teachers
One more teacher than the state requires in every classroom, and two more in infant rooms. More hands means more one-on-one time.
Room to move
Children visit the indoor multi-purpose room and the turf playground every day.
Fuel for learning
The BFA Cafe makes three meals a day from scratch.
Explore Our Programs
Every age group follows the Full Circle Curriculum, made just for their stage.
What curriculum does Balanced Family Academy use?
Balanced Family Academy uses the Full Circle Curriculum, its own early childhood curriculum for infants through Pre-K. Experienced early childhood educators designed it, and BFA teachers help improve it every year. Each day blends children’s books, hands-on play, and Daily Brain Builders, and every activity lines up with Ohio’s Early Learning and Development Standards.
Is the Full Circle Curriculum play-based or academic?
Both. At BFA, children learn through play, and that play is planned to build real skills. A sensory bin teaches counting, and a felt story builds vocabulary. BFA doesn’t rely on flash cards or memorizing. Instead, every activity lines up with Ohio’s Early Learning and Development Standards, so kids build the reading, math, and social skills they need for kindergarten while having fun.
How does BFA prepare children for kindergarten?
Kindergarten readiness is built into every week at BFA, starting in the infant room. In Pre-K, the curriculum shifts to a focused plan built around the skills children need on their first day of kindergarten. It works: 94% of BFA Pre-K students are kindergarten ready, based on more than 3,000 skill assessments across BFA Pre-K classrooms in the 2025–26 school year.
Is preschool necessary before kindergarten?
Preschool isn’t required in Ohio, but it gives children a strong head start. Kids practice early reading, math, and social skills, like taking turns and following routines, which makes the move to kindergarten smoother. At Balanced Family Academy, children build these skills every day through the Full Circle Curriculum.
Is Pre-K the same as preschool?
Not quite. At BFA, Preschool is for 3- to 4-year-olds, and Pre-K is for 4- to 5-year-olds in the year right before kindergarten. Pre-K puts extra focus on kindergarten skills, like early reading, writing, and math. BFA also offers Early Preschool for 2- to 3-year-olds.
What do infants and toddlers learn at daycare?
At BFA, infants and toddlers follow Daily Brain Builders made for their age. Babies explore new textures, hear new words and songs, and practice reaching, crawling, and pulling to stand. Toddlers join in on felt stories and fingerplays, sort by color, and get moving with yoga and parachute play. Teachers follow each baby’s own schedule for eating and napping.
What are Daily Brain Builders?
Daily Brain Builders are BFA’s daily themes. Each day of the week has its own catchy theme, like Messy Monday for sensory play and art, or Friend Friday for kindness and making friends. The themes give every classroom a fun, predictable rhythm and change with your child’s age, from Texture Tuesday for babies to Telescope Tuesday for preschoolers. In Pre-K, the focus shifts to kindergarten skills.
Are music, movement, and other extracurricular activities included in tuition?
Yes. At BFA, extracurricular activities like music, movement, art, and nature classes happen during the school day and are included in tuition. Your child gets to try something new, and you skip the evening carpool.
How does BFA share my child’s progress?
BFA teachers send monthly progress summaries and complete quarterly assessments, so you always know what skills your child is building. Daily photos and updates come straight to your phone through the CareDay app.
See the Full Circle Curriculum for Yourself
Stop stressing over the daily details. Come see where your child will learn, play, and be known.