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:
• Art Enrichment
• Science Enrichment
• A Good Dose of Playing Outside
