Explorer I Program

Welcome to the Explorer Classroom!

2 – 2 1/2 years

The Explorer classroom is designed for children 2 – 2 1/2 years old. Explorers demonstrate an interest in how they fit into the world around them and enjoy teacher-led demonstrations and hands-on art projects. Teachers work to facilitate children’s independence an social skills as they begin to create relationships with their peers. Language, Social Sciences, Hygiene, Letter Recognition, and Expanding Vocabulary are central themes to daily activities. Explorers participate in rhythmic activities to help develop body dexterity and hands-on art projects to stimulate creativity. Through age-appropriate lesson plans designed around their needs and interests, Dublin Learning Academy is able to assist Explorers as they meet personal learning targets in fun and educational ways.

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Developmental Milestones

The care and development of each Explorer are the top priorities of our experienced teachers and staff. We work closely with our Explorers to be sure each child is working towards achievement goals at Dublin Learning Academy. Our teachers strive for, assess, and celebrate the following milestones:

Language Arts

• Recognizes the letters of the alphabet
• Knows beginning sounds
• Makes eye contact when communicating
• Retells a story
• Speech is understandable

Mathematics

• Recognizes basic colors
• Identifies numbers 1-10
• Counts from 1-20

Science

• Identifies family members
• Recognizes days of the week
• Identifies all body parts
• Identifies the weather

Motor Skills

• Drinks from a cup and feeds self
• Opens doors
• Begins potty training

Self Help/Social-Emotional

• Separates from parents without anxiety
• Shares and interacts well with friends
• Recognizes being dirty vs. clean
• Stays attentive to task at hand
• Adheres to set expectations
• Cleans up work/play area
• Follows discipline policy and corrects behavior
• Shows interest in keeping good hygiene
• Expresses ideas, feelings, events, needs and wants with words

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Focus in the Explorer Classroom

Children are encouraged to explore and discover new ways of learning daily. Explorer children focus on expanding their vocabulary, talking in short sentences, recognizing the alphabet by sight, counting to 20, recognizing basic shapes and colors, and learning the different types of weather. Teachers use hands-on experiments to make learning fun. Monthly themes help show different ways of learning. Health and hygiene, extended family, and morals and manners are also part of our daily lesson.

Rewards & Discipline

Explorer teachers encourage children with behavior charts and lots of praise! Children are rewarded for such things as “using gentle hands,” sharing, clean-up, and good “listening ears.” When a child is displaying inappropriate behavior the teacher will re-direct them and give them the opportunity to “earn” back their good status on the behavior chart. When inappropriate behavior is continually displayed, children are asked to sit in the “Thinking Chair” to think about making better choices.

Nutrition

Explorers bring packed lunches or purchase catered meals. Snacks are provided Dublin Learning Academy. Dublin Learning Academy provides milk for Explorers at meals and snack times. Microwaves and refrigerators are located in the classroom for food storage convenience. Explorers who come before 8:30 a.m. may bring breakfast to eat at school. Please note that due to the health risks of students with severe allergies, Dublin Learning Academy has a school-wide peanut-free policy. Parents are responsible for supplying a labeled water cup/bottle for their child each day.

Nap Time

Explorer children take a nap each day after lunch. Each child has their own cot for nap time. All bedding is provided by the parent and bedding is sent home on the last school day of the week to wash and return.

Potty Training

Explorers begin to actively potty train. Teachers work with families to determine when each child is ready to potty train. Students will need extra clothes for accidents. Parents are required to bring in one package of wipes each month. Please refer to the parent handbook for diaper changing policies and procedures.

Enrolling your child in the Explorer Class

The decision to enroll your child is an exciting one! Dublin Learning Academy wants to make the transition for your family a pleasant one. Please complete and return all paperwork before your child’s first day. Make sure to label all personal items. The office is available to answer questions any time!

Life affords no greater responsibility, no great privilege, than the raising of the next generation. C. Everett Koon

Ratio: 1:7 Class Size: Max 7

Full-Time: 6:30am – 6:00pm (5 days/wk)

Part-Time: Available