Stephanie Jefferson, M. Ed.
Stephanie Jefferson has 15 years experience working with children. She holds a Master in Education degree with specialization in Early Childhood Education. She develops enrichment and tutoring programs for schools throughout Virginia.
Stephanie Jefferson, founder of Little Scholars, has an extensive background in early childhood education with more than fifteen years of experience working with children. Her expertise includes early childhood development, preschool curriculum design and assessment, inclusion analysis, and developmental needs identification. Mrs. Jefferson holds a Bachelor of Science degree from East Carolina University in special education and psychology, and she earned a Master of Education degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Mrs. Jefferson’s teaching career began in 1994 at Rural Point Elementary School in Hanover County, Virginia. During that time, she cultivated her educational skill set as an inclusion teacher for kindergarten through third grade and as a collaborative teacher providing curriculum adaptations for students. In these roles, she assessed students with suspected learning difficulties and addressed their individual needs. Beyond the classroom, Mrs. Jefferson has served as a Virginia state conference co-presenter for successful inclusion practices. In 1996, Mrs. Jefferson independently published several teaching tools featured in the “Creating Collaborative Individualized Education Programs: A Handbook.” These assessment tools, managed by the student, allow educators to gauge the student’s learning style and maximize the student’s learning potential through a customized curriculum.
In 1997, Mrs. Jefferson relocated to Roanoke, Virginia. She taught preschool at Roanoke Academy for Math and Science where she continued to develop and implement curriculum for children with early educational needs.
In 1998, Mrs. Jefferson began teaching at W. E. Cundiff Elementary School in Roanoke County, Virginia, in conjunction with the Virginia Preschool Initiative Program. As part of this initiative, she independently developed a pilot program entitled, Learning Experience through Active Play (LEAP). Mrs. Jefferson assisted in creating both the curriculum and assessment tools for LEAP, which focuses on developmentally appropriate preschool experiences.
In 2003, Mrs. Jefferson worked for Radford University serving as a mentor for student teachers in Early Childhood classrooms in Southwest Virginia. During this time, she assisted in the coordination and publication of Family FUNdamentals calendar for the Virginia Department of Education.
In 2006, Mrs. Jefferson founded Little Scholars LLC, to promote confidential, individually-tailored, and developmentally appropriate educational services to children. These services provide valuable information that empowers parents to make informed decisions about their child’s educational future. Little Scholars is committed to providing exceptional services that promote early learning experiences and educational development.
In addition to Mrs. Jefferson’s early elementary education expertise, she has been a supporter of Make a Wish Foundation and St. Christopher’s School. Mrs. Jefferson has previously served or is presently serving on the boards of the Children’s Museum of Richmond Guild, Chesterfield Women’s Soccer Association, Junior League of the Roanoke Valley, Virginia Museum of Transportation, The Square Society, and First Presbyterian Preschool Parents Council. Mrs. Jefferson presently lives in her hometown of Richmond, Virginia with her husband and two young sons and daughter.