Why Northwood

Our Learning Environment

Northwood offers students a developmental, child centered learning environment. For each student, we provide time, choice, and differentiated opportunities to develop social, emotional, and academic abilities through authentic hands-on, minds-on learning experiences.

Our Curriculum

Educators at Northwood use the Iowa Early Learning Standards as a roadmap to take the lead for your child’s individual growth and development. Our program implements the Creative Curriculum, which provides a child-centered, responsive, and comprehensive experience for each student, through opportunities for child-initiated play, literacy development, mathematics, writing, science, and social studies.

Our Instruction Decisions

We assess students regularly using Teaching Strategies GOLD. This assessment provides a growth continuum for each of the learning objectives that align to the Iowa Early Learning Standards. Teachers continually collect evidence of a student’s performance in order to make instruction decisions. We share the GOLD Assessment with families during Parent Teacher Conferences two times a year and provide a final report at the end of each year in our program. This assessment is shared with Kindergarten teachers in order to provide a baseline view of student’s growth and development during their years at Northwood.

Preschool

Northwood Preschool Center provides free preschool classes four days a week: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. The Ames CSD is currently taking names of preschool students who are intending to register for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year through our Preschool Information Request Form. 

Online registration for the 2023-2024 school year will open for all students, including preschool, later this spring. As a preschool family, you will receive additional information via the contact information you provide in the form.

Eligibility

Incoming Preschool students must be 4 years old on or before September 15. 

Preschool Partner Schools

We also work with a number of community partner schools. If you are interested in attending one of these, please contact them directly. 

ISU Child Development Laboratory School

2222 Osborn Dr.
Ames, IA 50011
Phone: 515-294-3040
Child Development Laboratory School Website
Child Development Laboratory School Handbook

Formative Years

4510 Todd Drive
Ames, IA 50014
Phone: 515-292-3609 
Formative Years Website
Formative Years Handbook

University Community Childcare

2623 Bruner Drive
Ames, IA 50010
Phone: 515-294-9838
University Community Childcare Website