At Cortelyou Academy, we believe that education is essential for empowering children to function creatively and efficiently in society, Cortelyou Early Childhood Centers are specifically designed to foster the full growth and development of tomorrow's young men and women. Students gain a sense of self-respect and internal self reliance through a variety of learning strategies contingent on individual ability and strength. The academic curriculum enables the understanding of the alphabet in relation to word definitions and reading, and the concept of numbers in relation to mathematics. In addition, children also learn through the interactive process. As they talk, play, listen, question, manipulate, and observe, they gain valuable experience that serves to broaden their knowledge base and improve their decision-making ability. Teachers organize space and time to allow children easy access to various activities-individual and group. Children are frequently given a choice of activities and encouraged to be independent as much as possible.