Curriculum

What are the kids “learning” at DLC?

This is a very common question that we get from parents. The reason is because kids learn through play! And it is not always obvious to adults how/why playing supports brain development, as well as social and emotional development. For example, painting is not just art, it’s learning about textures, color mixing and self expression. Digging rivers and canals in the dirt is not simply fun, it is pre-math/science (spacial awareness, planning, problem solving), and likely a lot of language, imagination and peer challenges to be worked out. Our staff is here to help you understand how young children learn, and WHAT is most relevant for preschoolers to learn. More specifically, what is challenging and thought provoking to your child and we can support them at our center.

First and foremost, kids at our center are learning how to be kind, to problem solve, to develop communication skills and how to be helpful. We not only discuss these concepts with the kids daily, our staff models these attributes in our communication with one and other, and also with how we speak to the kids

Our teachers co-create the curriculum throughout the year with the students. We observe the children’s play and conversations to discover their interests. Together we decide which direction to take those interests. When we discover a topic the kids would like to explore, we begin to weave in the most critical aspects of development (art, STEM, language & literacy, math/science, pretend & imagination, etc.) and then bring it all together to create a beautiful tapestry of learning!

Listed below are the goals for each small group to help you see some building blocks withing our days and behind the play and projects. Our staff does not use standardized tests to evaluate each child’s progress. We believe that a teacher’s intuition and observations are the most accurate & powerful developmental assessment tool available. Through our hands-on assessments of social interactions, artwork & projects, we are able to evaluate overall development!

Squirrel Group (Approx. 2-3 years) Squirrel Small Group Goals

Ladybugs & Dragonflies Group (Approx. 3-5 years) Honeybees & Dragonflies Small Group Goals

Butterfly Group (Pre-k/4-6 years) Butterfly Small Group Goals