About
My name is Amy Hilton. I'm the owner and teacher of The Owl Tree Preschool, and I truly love teaching! When my oldest started preschool I didn't realize how important early education was. I thought I'd found the best preschool but was disappointed when I realized he wasn't ready for kindergarten. I'm a firm believer that when you start out ahead, you are more likely to stay ahead. I searched this valley up and down looking for the perfect preschool experience that fully prepared them for kindergarten; a preschool that encompassed learn-through-play, field trips that offered my children a chance to better understand their community and be a part of it, and pushed them to reach their full potential. I wanted to know what my child was learning and what my role as a parent was in their education. I sought a special, memorable and personalized learning experience for my unique children. I wanted to find a teacher who recognized my child's individual needs and didn't just lecture, but helped my child get excited about exploring their world; someone I could trust to have my child's best interests at heart and that would truly love and care about them. I couldn't find what I was looking for. Everyone offered some part of it, but no one had everything. I decided to start my own preschool in 2011 after years of dreaming to teach, in the hope that I could provide all of the things I was looking for for my own children. I have learned and grown so much in my years of teaching, and I'm so grateful I've had the opportunity!
My goal is to have every child learn to love learning. I want them to explore their world because it's exciting and intriguing. I want them to know they are loved for who they are. I want them to understand their potential and know they can obtain it. My goal as a teacher is to make every interaction I have with your child a positive one. I want them to walk away from school every day with more confidence than the day before. I live and teach by the quote "They may forget what you said, but they'll never forget how you made them feel."
I'm passionate about early reading! My oldest son was invited to participate in a reading program that was designed to help children of all ages and abilities learn to read faster without missing vital steps. I fell in love with the program and had the privilege to learn it from it's creator. I taught it to kids with autism, dyslexia, kids who'd fallen way behind and had been in need of additional resources. I was amazed that the results were all the same. They succeeded. I wanted to teach it. I wanted to teach children to read and be completely prepared before they ever started in kindergarten. I knew that if they had the right tools, they would succeed.
To keep things exciting, every week at preschool is a new theme. I re-decorate the preschool and set out activities, manipulatives, and other items that have to do with that theme. I use music, games, dance, and art in our lessons. The reading program is no exception. We use big body movements, art and song to help them retain the letter sounds, vowels, and letter names. Every child learns differently and I want to find a way that they personally connect to each theme.
