Discovery School

My son is in his 3rd year there and I cannot say enough good things about it. They use things that the children are interested in to teach. It is called a high scope curriculum. If you google it, I am sure it will explain more. There is nowhere else I would rather him be. Our experience has been wonderful. My son has been delayed in his development of many things since he was born 12 weeks early and he has learned SO much there. He was writing his name after a month or two in the 4 year old class this year. Just yesterday, he sat down and wrote his name on all his valentines. Some of the activities may look like "play", but I guarantee you they are learning. They may be weighing things for science, or creating a pattern, or sorting things by the letter they start with. I hope all this helps!

My son attends the 3 year old class at Discovery school and we couldn't be happier with what he learns. I have picked him up early a few times during their small group time and have seen them teaching letter formation (writing their names), rhyming, letter recognition, patterning, and more. They have a curriculum they follow for each subject- it just doesn't involve worksheets. They also have a list of skills they work with the kids on to prepare them for Pre-K and Kindergarten. You probably observed during their center time (at this age, free play is important too). I would ask Janet & Kirsti (directors) if you could observe the class during either small group or large group instruction. You could also ask them to see the curriculum- I believe they have copies in the office. We have seen results- my child can write his first and last name, identify all letters, count to 20 and identify numbers to 10, and is making strides to master writing all letters, rhyming & patterning (among other skills). Plus, he LOVES going to school each day. Last year, I toured many schools in teh area and this was the one that I (as a former teacher) felt had the best balanced program. Hope that helps.

I don't know anything about the Smithfield Methodist Discovery School, but I recently toured Reading Friends and was really impressed with how they integrate learning into play. You might want to check it out. I wrote about it here: http://www.burbmom.net/reading-friends-preschool-kinderga...
There are so many options out there!

Hi! Children learn while they are playing. But it can be very difficult to pick a good preschool for your child. Something you might be able to do is ask to observe a 3 year old class in progress for a little bit. You could also visit several different schools in your area and do the same thing. They want your little one there, and they shouldn't have any qualms about letting you observe.

While you're observing, you'll be able to see what kind of play the kids are involved in. Do the teachers incorporate alphabet and/or counting games? Talk to the teacher(s) that would be in contact the most with your child and ask them how they do things and share your concerns. The more information you have, the better you'll be able to make a decision.

Hope this helps! You have a great week and a Happy Valentine's Day!