Discovery Island enrolls children aged 18 months-5 years old. Class groupings are dependent upon age and development. Class transitions typically happen once per year. Click on your child's age below to learn more.
Explorers (15-18 months)
Our Explorer program offers care for families ready to transition their child from infant care to a structured learning environment. Everyone at our center will work with you to make sure this transition goes smoothly! When you step into our Explorer class you will see a room made for your child to feel safe, loved and interactive space for your child to explore. We believe children learn best when provided with an environment that nurtures education from the beginning. We work with our Explorers to build more independence during meal times and play both indoor and outside. We will focus on positive reinforcement for each child’s individual needs as we guide them through fine motor skills, gross motor skills, emotional and social skills. Our curriculum is designed just for toddlers as we focus on building a strong foundation of learning by introducing them to new materials through lesson, art and sensory play. Whether it’s learning about body parts, colors or shapes Discovery Island offers plenty of opportunities for children grow and learn at their own pace.
Our Curriculum is...
Fun and Educational-Children are encouraged to learn about the world around them through a balance of play, exploration, and guided activities.
Teacher led activities and materials are chosen based on children’s interests and designed to foster independence, cooperation, and self-esteem.
Language and Literacy based-Age appropriate language and pre-reading activities are staples of everyday learning.
Developmentally appropriate curriculum complies with developmental practices and needs for our Explorers.
Outdoor Play Everyday
Playgrounds are places where children’s play can take off and flourish. Our playgrounds are large enough and designed in such a way that children’s play can come to full expression, where children can make a mess, run, jump and hide, where they can shout and explore the natural world. There are many fundamental reasons why outdoor play is critical for your toddler. Exploring, risk taking, fine and gross motor development and the absorption of basic knowledge, can be most effectively learned through outdoor play. Our playground is equipped with slides, climbers and more and that will leave a lasting impression on your explorers face.
Toddlers (18-30 months)
Our fun and energetic toddler program goes well beyond early learning. We believe that there is more than an opportunity to just educate right now; there’s an opportunity to educate children for life. Our toddler curriculum is designed to develop and reinforce each toddler’s individual needs. Your child will participate in fun learning experiences while receiving positive, nurturing guidance from our teachers. In the toddler program, we will focus on fine motor skills, gross motor skills, emotional skills as well as social skills. Our curriculum will focus on parts of the body, colors, shapes, numbers, and visual discrimination. Each day is filled with fun and new activities for your toddler to enjoy! Whether it’s learning all about the color or creating a masterpiece during arts and crafts time, Discovery Island Learning Center gives toddlers plenty of opportunities to investigate, explore and play in a safe, secure yet stimulating environment. Our unique blend of education and care meets emotional needs while promoting good social skills and learning.
Our Curriculum is...
Fun and Educational-Children are encouraged to learn about the world around them through a balance of play, exploration, and guided activities.
Child-Initiated-Activities and materials are chosen based on children’s interests and designed to foster independence, cooperation, and self-esteem.
Language and Literacy based-Age appropriate language and pre-reading activities are staples of everyday learning.
Developmentally appropriate-Our curriculum complies with developmentally appropriate practices and needs for our Toddlers.
Outdoor Play Everyday
Playgrounds are places where children’s play can take off and flourish. Our playgrounds are large enough and designed in such a way that children’s play can come to full expression, where children can make a mess, run, jump and hide, where they can shout and explore the natural world. There are many fundamental reasons why outdoor play is critical for your toddler. Exploring, risk taking, fine and gross motor development and the absorption of basic knowledge, can be most effectively learned through outdoor play. Our playground is equipped with slides, climbers and more and that will leave a lasting impression on your toddlers face.
Preschool (30-36 Months)
Our sunny and bright Preschool classrooms provide age-appropriate learning centers where children may choose activities that interest them. The preschool curriculum is a structured learning environment, preparing your child for our pre-kindergarten programs. Activities and projects will focus on colors, shapes, visual discrimination, classification, sequencing, and numbers. We will stimulate the senses through music, movement, and art. Toilet training is an important part of the day in our Early Learners program and our staff works diligently with parents to meet each child's individual needs.
Center Exploration
Your Preschooler will be on their own to explore the materials and learning activities set up in the classroom, as well as participate in various teacher-directed projects. Careful consideration is given to classroom arrangement and the selection of developmentally appropriate toys and equipment to encourage learning at each stage of toddler development.
Teacher-Guided Learning Activities
Teacher-guided learning activities are important to your Preschooler's learning achievement. Teacher-guided activities are designed and led by the teacher to meet a particular learning goal. Your child’s teacher might read a book, lead a music or movement activity, or work with the class on a planned activity. Teacher-guided activities also include those that require more supervision and assistance, such as food activities, painting or gluing. Our Preschool classrooms are a stepping stone, preparing your toddler for our Pre-K 3 Program.
Our Curriculum is…
Fun and educational. Children are encouraged to learn about the world around them through a balance of play, exploration, and guided activities.
Child-initiated. Activities and materials are chosen based on children’s interests and designed to foster independence, cooperation, and self-esteem.
Language and literacy based. Age appropriate language and pre-reading activities are staples of everyday learning.
Developmentally appropriate. Our curriculum complies with developmentally appropriate practices and needs for our Preschoolers.
Outdoor Play Everyday
Playgrounds are places where children’s play can take off and flourish. Our playgrounds are large enough and designed in such a way that children’s play can come to full expression, where children can make a mess, run, jump and hide, where they can shout and explore the natural world. There are many fundamental reasons why outdoor play is critical for your toddler. Exploring, risk taking, fine and gross motor development and the absorption of basic knowledge, can be most effectively learned through outdoor play. Our playground is equipped with slides, climbers and more and that will leave a lasting impression on your preschoolers face.
“We could go on and on about Discovery Island. We have truly enjoyed the past four years and look forward to the next two. We drive from Trumann every day twice, so that Zoey will receive the same quality education that Daly did. With gas prices as high as they are, we can’t think of a better testimonial. Discovery Island is truly worth it!
”
Pre-K 3 (3-4 Years)
Our preschool Program is designed to help children continue their learning experience and to transition from Preschool to Pre-Kindergarten. Your child will have a wonderful day full of fun learning activities.
Academics
We use the Sing, Spell, Read, and Write Preschool Curriculum from August to May. This program uses songs and hands-on activities to teach Kindergarten readiness skills. Children will enjoy moving along the Jolly Trolley Chart as they accomplish each lesson. This innovative curriculum teaches phonics, letter and number recognition, classification, opposites, rhyming, and much more. We will also introduce Spanish colors and numbers 1-10. Each day your child will have a lesson sheet to bring home allowing them to share with you the topic learned for that day.
Children also learn the days of the week, months of the year, and the Pledge of Allegiance. We help children improve skills such as cutting, gluing, and writing. Each child will learn to write and recognize their first name, recognize letters, numbers to 10, and count to 20. We will also introduce the sounds of each letter.
Self-help Skills
Children want to be independent at this age and we want to help them gain some independence by teaching self-help skills. Children will be taught to use the toilet on their own including to wipe themselves. Children will also learn to dress themselves, hang up their own coats, put away their supplies, and clean up after themselves.
Physical Development
We help children develop physically with movement in the classroom as well as outdoor activities. Our indoor activities include a tumble mat, balance beam, and tunnel. We also use dance, exercise and afternoon games to help children develop motor skills. Play dough, puzzles, and manipulatives are used to help improve fine motor skills.
Outdoor activities include running and climbing on playground equipment. A concrete area devoted to balls and games. Relay races and team games also allow children to develop social skills. We have slides, teeter totters, dinosaurs, and climbing toys on our playground.
What does your child need?
A small blanket, fitted crib sheet and travel size pillow
A small crayon/marker box
1 stick of sunscreen
Hairbrush/comb
Box of Kleenex
Box of wet wipes/baby wipes
2-3 extra changes of clothes to leave in the cubby
What does my child need to know?
Your child must be fully potty trained.
Your child needs to be able to sit upright in a chair.
Your child needs to be able to follow simple directions.
Social/Emotional Skills:
Our entire day is filled with opportunities to help children develop social and emotional skills. Group activities in the classroom and team games offer ways for children to learn to work with one another. Individual accomplishments help build a positive self image. Art activities, music and movement are ways of helping children learn to express their emotions. Helping children learn to handle conflict, find solutions to problems are other ways to improve social development and to also help children learn to control their emotions.
Your Child’s Pre-K 3 Day
Morning Welcome
A teacher will greet you and your child each morning and be available to talk to you about any upcoming events or concerns you may have about your child. Morning welcome is a quiet time for children to adjust into the classroom. Table activities are available to each child when entering the classroom.
Morning Circle
We use Morning Circle as a time to begin class. We start by introducing the classroom helpers including line leader, door holder, or calendar helper. Each child is given a job for the day, which is a great way to teach responsibility and helping others. During Morning Circle, we introduce the calendar using songs, weather, and say the Pledge of Allegiance. We also introduce our theme for the day.
Morning Snack
Morning snack is served in the lunchroom following Morning Circle. A menu is posted by the office or on this webpage. If your child has a food allergy or doesn’t like what is posted, you may bring them a snack.
Morning Learning Activity
Each day your child will have a lesson activity. Our teachers use a combination of hands-on activities and structured lesson. We use the Sing, Spell, Read, and Write Preschool Curriculum from September to May. These lessons include a number of Kindergarten readiness skills, and are used in many local public schools. Each lesson is taught using songs, active participation, and a take home activity. Our lessons include colors, shapes, opposites, numbers, letters, and much more. Children learn to write and recognize their first name, recognize letters, recognize numbers, and count to 20. They also learn simple math concepts such as measurement, data collection, and capacity. Research shows that children learn also through exploration and play. We incorporate all of our learning themes into our Learning Centers provided in each classroom. Teachers add new items with each month and allow children time to explore each Learning Center. Each class has a special Learning Center for Science and Discovery. Each month a new Science theme is revealed for children to experience.
Outdoor Play Time
We believe that children should learn to respect nature and be actively involved in outdoor experiences. Discovery Island has a great playground area full of slides, teeter totters, climbing areas, and of course, plenty of room to run! Our playground is divided into unique areas including an open area for running and playground equipment, an area of concrete for sidewalk chalk, balls, and games, an upstairs area with picnic tables perfect for outdoor snacks and activities. Children visit the playground twice a day.
Morning Art
Your child will enjoy art activities each day. Children will be allowed to improve cutting, gluing and coloring skills while expressing themselves in free art. Children will also be exposed to several mediums such as paint, watercolors, play dough, and shaving cream. Some art experiences will be themed toward the lesson, or the special unit being taught.
Music and Movement
Children will enjoy dancing and singing each day. Themed songs, finger plays or dances are introduced at this time. Children are also allowed to create their own songs, poems, or dances. This is a great way for children to learn to express their emotions.
Story Time
Students will enjoy a special classroom story at this time. Books, Felt stories, or Participation stories are used to reinforce the learning unit for the day. Children learn to love reading as they adventure into each story!
Lunch
A hot lunch is served daily in the lunchroom. All of our meals are filled with kid-friendly, healthy food. We work hard to teach our children to make healthy choices.
Nap Time
After lunch, children are given a bathroom break and then asked to lay on their personal cot. We provide all cots and sheets, which are washed once a week. You should bring a small pillow, a fitted crib sheet and a travel size blanket which is sent home each Friday to be washed. Children are covered by the teacher. The lights are out in the classroom and soft, soothing music is played. It is a state requirement for children at this age to have a two hour rest time. Teachers offer books or quiet toys to children who do not nap.
Afternoon Activities
Children are woken up from naptime by an enthusiastic Recreational Leader. These fun, energetic young college students fill the afternoon with games, art/crafts, music, and more! Your child will look forward to an afternoon of engaging activities!
Pre-K 4 (4-5 Years)
Our Pre-K program is designed with school readiness in mind. By Pre-K graduation in May, most students will be able to write, recognize basic sight words, do simple math, and will possess the social and emotional skills need to excel in a public school Kindergarten class.
Academics
We use the Sing, Spell, Read, and Write Kindergarten Curriculum from mid-August to May. This program uses songs and hands-on activities to teach Kindergarten readiness skills. Children will enjoy moving along the Jolly Trolley Chart as they accomplish each lesson. This innovative curriculum teaches phonics, letter and number recognition, as well as blending and vowel sounds. This age will work to improve writing skills and develop early reading skills. Each day your child will have a lesson sheet to bring home allowing them to share with you the topic learned for that day.
Children also learn the days of the week, months of the year, and the Pledge of Allegiance. We help children improve skills such as cutting, gluing, and writing. Each child will learn to write and recognize their first and last name, recognize letters, learn the sound of each letter, recognize numbers to 20, and count to 100.
We also use the Pearson Pre-K Math Curriculum which teaches fun math concepts including number recognition, measurement, patterning, classification, data collection, addition, subtraction and more! Children will learn to recognize numbers to 30 and count to 100. We also introduce numbers 1-10 in Spanish. This is a wonderful program that uses fun games and activities to help children gain knowledge needed in Kindergarten math programs.
We know children learn best through exploration and experience. Each month, teachers add new themed units to their Discovery Center for children to experience. Units include bones, spiders, plants, Dental Health, and much more! This offers a great way for children to learn and grow.
Self-help Skills
Children want to be independent at this age and we want to help them gain some independence by teaching self-help skills. Children should be able to use the toilet on their own including to wipe themselves. Children will learn to dress themselves, hang up their own coats, put away their supplies, and clean up after themselves.
Physical Development
We help children develop physically with movement in the classroom as well as outdoor activities. Our indoor activities include a tumble mat, balance beam, and tunnel. We also use dance, exercise and afternoon games to help children develop motor skills. Play dough, puzzles, and manipulatives are used to help improve fine motor skills.
Outdoor activities include running and climbing on playground equipment. A concrete area devoted to balls and games. Relay races and team games also allow children to develop social skills. We have slides, swings, teeter totters, dinosaurs, and climbing toys on our playground.
What does your child need?
A small blanket, fitted crib sheet and travel size pillow
A small crayon/marker box
1 stick of sunscreen
Box of Kleenex
Box of wet wipes/baby wipes
Hairbrush/comb
2-3extra changes of clothes to leave in the cubby
What does my child need to know?
Your child must be fully potty trained.
Your child needs to know how to sit in a chair.
Your child needs to be able to follow simple directions.
Social/Emotional Skills
Our entire day is filled with opportunities to help children develop social and emotional skills. Group activities in the classroom and team games offer ways for children to learn to work with one another. Individual accomplishments help build a positive self image. Art activities, music and movement are ways of helping children learn to express their emotions. Helping children learn to handle conflict, find solutions to problems are other ways to improve social development and to also help children learn to control their emotions.
Your Child’s Pre-K 4 Day
Morning Welcome
A teacher will greet you and your child each morning and be available to talk to you about any upcoming events or concerns you may have about your child. Morning welcome is a quiet time for children to adjust easily into the classroom. Table activities are available along with learning center play to each child when entering the classroom. Children are encouraged to explore each learning center.
Morning Circle
We use Morning Circle as a time to begin class. We start by introducing the classroom helpers including line leader, door holder, or calendar helper. Children are given a job for the day, which is a great way to teach responsibility, helping others, and taking turns. During Morning Circle, we introduce the calendar using songs, weather, and say the Pledge of Allegiance. We also introduce our theme for the day.
Morning Learning Activity
Each day your child will have a lesson activity. Our teachers use a combination of hands-on activities and structured lesson. We use the Sing, Spell, Read, and Write Kindergarten Curriculum from August to May. These lessons include a number of Kindergarten readiness skills, and are used in many local public schools. Each lesson is taught using songs, active participation, and a take home activity. Our Pre-K 4 program focuses on letter and number recognition as well as the phonics of each letter, blending, and vowel sounds. Children learn to write and recognize their first and last name, and each letter.
Our Math lesson uses fun games, and activities to teach concepts such as measurement, classification, data collection, patterning, addition, and subtraction. Children will learn to write and recognize numbers to 30 and counting to 100. They will also learn to count 1-10 in Spanish.
Outdoor Play Time
We believe that children should learn to respect nature and be actively involved in outdoor experiences. Discovery Island has a great playground area full of slides, teeter totters, climbing areas, and of course, plenty of room to run! Our playground is divided into unique areas including an open area for running and playground equipment, an area of concrete for sidewalk chalk, balls, and games, an upstairs area with picnic tables perfect for outdoor snacks and activities. Children visit the playground twice a day.
Music and Movement
Children will enjoy dancing and singing each day. Themed songs, finger plays or dances are introduced at this time. Children are also allowed to create their own songs, poems, or dances. This is a great way for children to learn to express their emotions.
Story Time
Students will enjoy a special classroom story at this time. Books, Felt stories, or Participation stories are used to reinforce the learning unit for the day. Children learn to love reading as they adventure into each story!
Lunch
A hot lunch is served daily in the lunchroom. All of our meals are filled with kid-friendly, healthy food. We work hard to teach our children to make healthy choices.
Nap Time
After lunch, children are given a bathroom break and then asked to lay on their personal cot. We provide all cots and sheets, which are washed once a week. You should bring a small pillow and a travel size blanket which is sent home each Friday to be washed. Children are covered by the teacher. The lights are out in the classroom and soft, soothing music is played. It is a state requirement for children at this age to have a two hour rest time. Teachers offer books or quiet toys to children who do not nap.
Afternoon Activities
When nap time is over, children are helped to the bathroom, and offered quiet table toys. A healthy Afternoon snack is served in the lunchroom.Our Afternoon Teachers are devoted to having fun with the children! The afternoon is filled with singing, dancing, playing games, and arts/crafts.