Leapfrog Program Description

What is Leapfrog?
Course Options for Leapfrog Students
Leapfrog in Glen Ellyn
Multi-Age Course Assignment
Selecting a Course
Course Times & Locations
Parent Seminars
Lunch & Recess Option

What is Leapfrog?

The Leapfrog Program provides innovative academic challenges for students completing grades PreK (entering kindergarten in the fall of 2008) through 3 with demonstrated strong math or verbal ability. Courses include substantial and engaging hands-on activities designed to help youngsters acquire and practice new concepts in challenging and interesting ways.

Leapfrog courses are offered in Evanston and Glen Ellyn. You may enroll your child in one, two or three weeks of Leapfrog courses. Please select courses that best fit your child’s academic strengths based on test scores and/or other academic measures.

Course Options for Leapfrog Students

Morning courses for students completing grades PreK through 3.
Week-long courses meet from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, Monday through Friday. Morning courses are offered in Evanston and Glen Ellyn. All students may also participate in the 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm lunch/recess option.

Afternoon courses for students completing grades PreK through 3 are offered in Evanston only. Week-long courses meet from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Parents may enroll their children in a morning class, an afternoon class or both. All students may participate in the 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm lunch/recess option.

All-day option for students completing grade 3. During each week of Leapfrog, two different all-day courses are open to students completing the third grade in the spring of 2008. Students engage in projects, hands-on experiments and in-depth activities during engrossing courses that meet from 8:30 am to 2:45 pm on Northwestern University's Evanston campus. Students have a lunch/recess break from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm each day. They must bring a bag lunch that does not require refrigeration. The week culminates with an Expo of students’ work and class projects for families and friends on the final Friday of each all-day option week at 2:00 pm.

Click here for the list of 2008 Leapfrog courses.

Leapfrog in Glen Ellyn

Challenging and innovative enrichment courses are offered to qualified students completing PreK through 3rd grade at our site in the western suburb of Glen Ellyn. Courses available in Glen Ellyn are indicated in the Leapfrog course descriptions. Glen Ellyn courses are only offered in the mornings. Courses in Glen Ellyn are held at St. Petronille School.

Multi-Age Course Assignment

Depending on the program’s enrollments, students may be grouped in multi-age courses. Typical groups include PreK and K, 1st and 2nd, or 2nd and 3rd. Enrollment in PreK and K courses is limited to 16 students while 1st through 3rd grade courses accommodate up to 18 students. Parents will be notified of their child's placement before the course begins.

Selecting a Course

During each week of the Leapfrog Summer Program, a different topic within the same subject area will be offered at each grade level. Each topic will be taught at a level commensurate with the ability level of the students enrolled in the course. Students should select courses that best fit their academic strength based on test scores or other academic measures and enroll in the course for the grade completed in 2007-08.

Course Times & Locations

Leapfrog half-day courses will be held in grammar schools near the Evanston campus and in Glen Ellyn. Week-long morning courses meet from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, Monday - Friday. Week-long afternoon courses meet from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Monday - Friday. Parents should drop off students no earlier than 8:50 am (for morning courses) and 12:50 pm (for afternoon courses) and pick them up promptly after class or the extended lunch/recess option.

Leapfrog all-day courses for students completing third grade will be held on Northwestern University's Evanston campus. Classes meet from 8:30 am to 2:45 pm, Monday - Friday. Parents should drop off their students no earlier than 8:20 am and pick them up promptly at 2:45 pm.

Leapfrog near Evanston half-day courses (morning and afternoon) will be held at:
Baker Demonstration School
201 Sheridan Road
Wilmette, IL 60091
http://www.bakerdemschool.org/

Leapfrog in Evanston all-day courses for students completing 3rd grade will be held at:
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL
http://www.northwestern.edu

Leapfrog in Glen Ellyn half-day (morning only) courses will be held at:
St. Petronille School
425 Prospect Ave, Suite 100
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
http://www.stpetschool.org/

Parent Seminars
Free parent seminars on topics related to giftedness and parenting gifted children are offered in the mornings during each session. Dates, topics and speakers are made available on the first day of class and will eventually be listed here. Presentations generally last one hour. An additional 30 minutes are usually allotted for questions.

Lunch & Recess Option

A lunch/recess option is offered Monday through Friday from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm at the Evanston half-day site, and Monday through Thursday from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm in Glen Ellyn. Students are supervised by teaching assistants as they eat lunch and participate in recreational activities. Students enrolled in both morning and afternoon classes may participate and will be escorted between their classrooms and lunch/recess. Participation costs $10 per day. Parents must provide a bag lunch that does not require refrigeration. Families may register for the lunch/recess option on the form included in the Leapfrog acceptance packet.