Background:
After many years teaching everything from preschool to college and developing products along the way to meet observed needs, Sarah Major resigned from fulltime teaching in 2006 in order to devote herself to Child1st. What began as a small business in her Florida home quickly grew, gaining friends and customers all over the world. By 2008 the business expanded to a new facility in North Carolina, and added several staff. Currently, product designers are expanding the line of Spanish products to complete the set of SnapWords™ Cards and accompanying decodable readers.
Core Beliefs:
We believe every child can learn, that many learning failures are avoidable, and that a label assigned doesn't have to be a life sentence. We believe brains are made to learn, they love to learn, and in many cases they will learn when conditions are right. We also believe that once the gaps in their understanding are bridged, they will progress rapidly.
Product designers at Child1st look at children first to discover how they learn most naturally. We integrate explicit phonics instruction with specific strategies (visuals, movement, storytelling, humor, rhyme, and patterns) to engage children with an array of learning strengths. Teach smarter, more efficiently, and with confidence.
Sarah Major, CEO, has taught students from preschool to adult. She was a Title 1 director and program developer for grades K-7, an ESOL teacher, and a classroom teacher, and homeschooled preschool and kindergarten. Sarah was also the recipient of the awards for major academic program improvement and outstanding parent satisfaction while in Title 1. Raised in Central America (Costa Rica, Honduras and Puerto Rico) by missionary parents, Sarah gained extensive experience interacting with people from a variety of cultures. As an undergraduate student, Sarah attended Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. where she received a B.A. in art. Later, she received her M.Ed. from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI. Sarah brings her passion for working with children, as well as years of working with children in order to identify common learning gaps and to discover ways in which children seem to learn most naturally. In her spare time Sarah enjoys gardening, cooking, pottery, and quilting.
Robert Major, a corporate pilot, supports all aspects of the business when not flying. Also raised by missionary parents, Bob spent many years in India and traveling around the world. Sarah and Bob have four children who are the delight of their lives. Bob's hobbies include building model airplanes, travel, reading, and anything related to India.
Hannah Gray
is Child1st's Office Manager/ Project Coordinator. As office manager, she oversees operations including bookkeeping, personnel, and inventory management. Hannah also coordinates new projects, oversees web stats and participates in online marketing. Hannah's travels abroad include a year teaching art at a Filipino elementary school. Originally from Michigan, Hannah enjoys the outdoors, knitting, and designing jewelry.Deborah Gray, Editor/ Writer, is a graduate of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI, where she obtained a B.A. in English. As editor, she edits blogs, articles, website content, and new products. Deborah also coordinates with writers/illustrators on acquisitions. During college, Deborah enjoyed an internship at Baker Publishing Group, where she deepened her editing experience. Travels abroad included a semester in Hungary in 2007. Deb was the recipient of Calvin College's 2009 Academy of American Poets Student Poetry Award. Deborah's hobbies include traveling, biking, and singing.
Call 704-240-9957 or email:
1379 S Aspen Street, Lincolnton, NC 28092 | 704-240-9957, 704-240-9998 fax
