Toddler Community: 18 Months to 3-Years-Old
The Discovery Toddler Community embodies two toddler classrooms; one classroom provides a five-day morning class, and the other offers a four day morning class. The Discovery Toddler Community is a prepared environment for children 18 months to 3 years old. It is designed to assist the child toward independence, social awareness, respect, and the development of motor skills and language.
Maria Montessori asserted that human beings develop with the greatest intensity during the first three years of life; therefore, the toddler classrooms are prepared to provide nurturance, security and challenge in an orderly environment. The maximum number of children in each toddler class is twelve, with one lead teacher and one associate teacher.
The beginning of the school year brings the parent and child together until the child feels trust to positively separate from the parent. Only then may the child independently attend an environment especially set up for his/her developmental
needs.
Specific goals for the toddler program are as follows:
• To assist the child in a positive separation from parents in order to facilitate
individuation.
• To provide an orderly environment in which toddlers may explore and experience
concepts and skills through manipulation.
• To provide a language-rich environment through precise nomenclature, books,
nursery rhymes, and music.
• To give the child opportunities for practical life - care of the self and environment - so
that the child understands that each person has an important function. This
encourages a positive self-concept and confidence.
• To provide a social environment for the fostering of community and respect.
• To create an aesthetic environment through art work and objects from nature that call
to the child's love of beauty.
• To encourage a supportive community for parents through education and
participation.
Preprimary Education: 3-Years-Old to 6-Years-Old (Kindergarten)
The multi-age classroom allows for an every day setting where younger students are able to learn from their experienced peers. This arrangement benefits the older children by providing them with a leadership opportunity; the younger children benefit by having daily positive role models which extend beyond the teachers.
The classroom is equipped with materials for a variety of academic levels at this age range, regardless of the child's "grade level". The students are able and encouraged to concentrate on their own progress.
Specific goals for the three to 6-year-old preprimary program are as follows:
• To provide an environment that allows each child to develop at his/her own pace
and to his/her fullest potential.
• To encourage care of oneself and the environment.
• To aid the continued development of respect for others and the materials.
• To foster a love of learning, creativity, logical thinking and skills for life.
• To aid the growth of the child into a complete social, emotional, and
intellectual being.
• To build continuity between home and school through parent education
and parent-teacher conferences.
Elementary Education: 6 Years to 11-Years-Old (First to Fifth Grades)
The multi-age classroom allows for an every day setting where younger students are able to learn from their experienced peers. This arrangement benefits the older children by providing them with a leadership opportunity; the younger children benefit by having daily positive role models which extend beyond the teachers.
The classroom is equipped with materials for a variety of academic levels at this age range, regardless of the child's "grade level". The students are able and encouraged to concentrate on their own progress.
Specific goals for the elementary student are as follows:
• To foster independence and self-confidence in each student.
• To assist students in developing responsibility for one's own actions and a
responsibility for and awareness of the surrounding community.
• To aid the discovery of the social skills necessary to interact peacefully with
others in the community and to help each student acquire an awareness of an
appreciation for people beyond one's own community.
• To learn about the universe at large and the smaller sections of the world in
which the students live and how they relate to those microcosms.
• To provide an environment that stimulates each child to reach her or his
full potential as a human being in their own creative way.
• To help each student to build a concept of time and time management in order
to achieve his/her goals.
After Care Enrichment for Preprimary and Elementary Students
At Discovery, we recognize that many families need their children to be watched after school hours until Mom or Dad can pick the child up. Our after care program differs from a day care or babysitting service in that lessons and opportunities for learning are made available to the child. Lessons are presented and the child is allow to participate if they so choose.
Some of the after care programs include:
• English High Tea - Children learn proper table manners, how to make tea, and
how to set a table.
• Art Enrichment
• Science Enrichment
• A Good Dose of Playing Outside
