PHILOSOPHY
LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM
MATH/SCIENCE CURRICULUM
SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM
CREATIVE ARTS PROGRAM
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
THEMES

PHILOSOPHY

DISCOVERY provides children with a warm, nurturing environment that gives each child the opportunity to develop at his or her own pace.  We seek out the child's strengths and challenge them whenever possible, giving them the opportunity to teach others in a mentoring role.  We encourage the child to dream, to imagine, to create and to experiment with self expression.  Children need to explore a world that is still magical, mysterious and awe-inspiring.    

Our curriculum introduces children to community-centered living.  They are encouraged to work together in a community, to make choices that benefit both the child and others, and to respect themselves, each other and the environment.  Our skilled, sensitive teachers empower children by teaching conflict resolution skills that help them identify and express their own feelings and needs.  We also help children listen and respond to the needs and feelings expressed by others.  

The curriculum at DISCOVERY reflects the highest standards of the most competitive independent schools.  The teachers are responsible for planning and teaching the major curricular areas:  language arts, math, science, and social studies.  Daily, direct instruction is organized around small instructional groups, within which individual differences in learning style are accommodated and children learn at their own level and pace.  The curriculum is expanded and enriched through storytelling, art, drama, music, yoga, dance, field trips, and multicultural celebrations.

We are committed to developing each child's potential to become a caring, thoughtful and endlessly curious learner.

LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM

The language arts curriculum instills in the children a love for literature and provides them with readiness skills in preparation for reading and writing.  The program focuses on language development, verbal expression, reasoning and social interaction. Proficiency in these areas is achieved through circle time activities, finger play, story time, dramatic play, music, creative movement, free play both indoors and out. Children's journal pages are sent home monthly, and parents are invited to read to the class.

The language arts area is equipped with materials that enable the children to explore letter sounds and experience writing.  The children are encouraged to use their developing language skills in all areas of the classroom, including sharing thoughts and ideas, initiating activities with one another, and solving social concerns on their own.  Each child develops language at a pace that is comfortable for him or her.  

Additionally, Spanish is introduced once a week through songs, children's literature, and simple words and phrases throughout the day. It is the goal of our foreign language program that the children
 • gain knowledge and understanding of other cultures
 • broaden their perspectives regarding meanings, attitudes, values, and ideas
 • gain insight into the nature of language and culture

MATH/SCIENCE CURRICULUM

Exposes children to counting, numerical recognition and reasoning, whole-part relationships, spatial relationships, and identifying and creating patterns.  These skills are achieved through block-building, stringing beads, puzzle assembly, calendar activities and art activities. Manipulatives teach the children to sort, order and classify. Collecting, measuring and graphing are taught through cooking and nature activities.

The children use hands-on math materials to discover and explore mathematical ideas. The materials and exercises are designed to illustrate specific mathematical concepts, progressing through three stages, beginning with quantity, then symbol, and the third combining both quantity and symbol.  Children develop at their own pace and are motivated by individual interests and abilities throughout their early development. This influences the direction a child takes in moving through the progression of materials. New materials are introduced as each child is ready for them.

Science concepts are introduced through many of our themes: Nature, Outer Space, Our Bodies, etc.

SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM

Focuses on basic human needs (e.g., food, shelter, clothing, transportation, etc.) shared by all cultures. Using their own experiences as a point of reference, children explore such topics such as self, family, neighborhood, community, and culture.  Topics or themes for classroom study often are taken from the particular interests of the students themselves, and thus vary from classroom to classroom. The curriculum emphasizes the similarities among people around the world and seeks to foster an appreciation of various cultures. Parents are always encouraged to share their family traditions and celebrations with the class.

There is a social studies, or cultural arts, area in each classroom that highlights current units of discussion with appropriate picture books, photos, objects, puzzles, worksheets, etc. Children are given the opportunity to explore the many different tangible artifacts independently, and they often participate in more teacher-directed activities that relate to a topic that is being discussed.

In addition, geography is an important part of the curriculum. Every class has a geography area that is filled with puzzle maps, globes, flags of the world, and land form materials. Children begin to learn map skills, the names and locations of the continents, and the animals that can be found there. To supplement the geography area of each class, many stories are read and songs are sung that pertain to particular regions.

CREATIVE ARTS PROGRAM

The Creative Arts program combines movement, drama, and music to provide a broad range of creative interactive experiences. Children use musical instruments, listen to music, sing songs, and dance. Coordination, sequencing, and rhythm skills are developed through these activities.

Children act out stories, explore motions, experiment with expressive body movement, and learn body awareness. These activities build self-esteem and encourage self-expression.

Drawing, painting, coloring, doing crafts and other art projects are an integral part of the program.  These important activities allow children to express their thoughts and feelings, and enhance their learning of concepts taught through the Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies programs.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

At DISCOVERY we feel it's never too early to introduce a child to physical fitness.  Our curriculum introduces children to aerobics, tumbling, yoga, and pilates.  Our play area offers children the opportunity to run, climb, slide, ride a trike, kick a ball or play basketball.

THEMES

Our curriculum uses a thematic, whole language approach where children can explore and learn about the world they live in. This allows a child to develop mentally emotionally, physically, and intellectually at an individual rate.

In addition to the regular curriculum, special themes are covered during the school year, including health, community, nature, and a very popular theme revolving around cultural diversity. Children are introduced to different cultures, starting with their own teachers'. Parents are encouraged to participate. Presentations include food, native dress, currency, language, films, books and music, to name a few.

Other themes covered during the school year include "all about me", nursery rhymes, five senses, transportation, food, and others fun themes dictated by the interests of the children.