Park Slope Preschool Focuses on Art and Academics

By Charles Beacham September 16, 2013

Mozarts and Einsteins is an art-focused preschool in Park Slope. In addition to the regular core subjects of reading, writing, math, science, and Spanish, an emphasis is placed on visual and performing arts.

children painting

Mozarts and Einsteins preschool is dedicated to providing children with a well rounded educational foundation by integrating arts and academics.

Mozarts and Einsteins, a preschool in Park Slope, opened its doors in September for its first class of students. But this is preschool with a twist: Mozarts and Einsteins is all about integrating the arts and academics.

The result is kids who are well balanced, happy, and socially prepared for kindergarten, says founder and director Melody Blasenheim. “In my heart I believe that the arts need to be equal with the academics,” she says.

The school’s curriculum is based around the popular Frog Street Press program, which teaches kids ages 2-5 the rudimentary skills for reading, phonics, writing, math, science, and Spanish. The school also uses weekly themes, so what’s taught in one class is reinforced through all disciplines. As children are learning about letters, numbers, and shapes, they are also taught to appreciate and participate in theater arts, music, visual arts, and dance—think performing arts school for preschoolers. Class sizes are kept small so each child gets the attention he or she deserves, and with Prospect Park across the street, kids have plenty of time for outside play as well.

“All of us parents just want our kids to be happy,” Blasenheim says. “We don’t necessarily want to push them to be Mozarts or Einsteins. We just want happy kids and well-balanced students. We want kids to enjoy learning, so we go for joy.”