Curriculum

Expeditionary Learning is a curricular idea that promotes critical thinking. By engaging students with an in-depth investigation of the subject matter, students enjoy real-world learning experiences. At Discovery Trails, we make learning real for children by either going on field trips, inviting guests to our school, or bringing the subject to class. Expeditionary Learning is an experienced-based curriculum which reinforces that students should be active participants in their own learning. This instills in children the desire to look beyond the information given and draw their own conclusions.

Expeditionary Learning is a curricular idea that promotes critical thinking. By engaging students with an in-depth investigation of the subject matter, students enjoy real-world learning experiences. At Discovery Trails, we make learning real for children by either going on field trips, inviting guests to our school, or bringing the subject to class. Expeditionary Learning is an experienced-based curriculum which reinforces that students should be active participants in their own learning. This instills in children the desire to look beyond the information given and draw their own conclusions.

Designing and creating structures with the blocks helps children with muscle development, eye-hand coordination, conceptual development of size, number, shape, weight, width, and function of the block, and how to work cooperatively with others. Children learn to manipulate objects to create open-ended ideas and formulate problem-solving skills. It is in the block center that children initiate weights, measurements, and comparisons. Unit blocks, Lincoln logs, cars, trucks, people, animals, and theme-related habitats are found in this area. Paper and writing material is readily available to add literary dimensions, implement street signs, or to record measurement amounts.

Capitalizing upon the children’s fascination with computers makes it fun and interesting for them to familiarize themselves with components and how they work, and develop concepts with a variety of programs appropriate for their developmental level. Word processing allows children to explore typing numbers and letters as well as investigate educational games.

Often the most popular center, this area encourages children to develop creative expression, vocabulary, imagination, role-playing, problem-solving, social interaction, small muscle control, and eye-hand coordination. Children acquire ways to work through problems by reenacting real-life experiences. Dramatic play offers safe and purposeful situations for children to rehearse life skills.

Children develop reading readiness skills, build vocabulary, participate in a conversation and acquire conceptual development. They begin to identify roles and relationships as they pertain to characters in stories, listen and participate as a member of a group and enjoy listening and recreating narratives. The library area is the place children learn to be receptive to the written word and emergent literacy is the key component. Children’s literate acts emerge from their wealth of experience with oral language and their attempts to enter the rewarding world of print. The process of becoming literate is developmental. There is no reader or non-reader, but literacy development starts early and is ongoing on a continuum of increasing competence.

Children express creativity with open-ended materials. They match, sort, sequence, seriate and classify materials by color, shape, size, and texture. They improve small muscle development, eye-hand coordination, increase cognitive ability and inherent social skills such as taking turns, sharing materials, cooperating while creating, and joining in play activities. Problem-solving and applying acquired information to a new context is exercised in this area. It is here that children begin to understand the concept of numbers and their meaning as it relates to real events and ideas.

Children experiment with a variety of mediums to increase large motor development. Cooperative games, dances, rhythms, and activities that promote body movement are emphasized. Music is important to the overall atmosphere by creating a vibrant environment of creative thinkers. Research suggests that music may enhance intelligence, academic achievement, self-esteem, and improve self-discipline. It is closely associated with the patterning necessary for math skills.

Children explore, experiment, hypothesize, question, discover, and develop concepts using real objects. As discoveries are made, observations are written and connect the importance of literacy skills. Research shows that children learn best through their senses. At the tactile table, children develop sensory awareness with materials such as sand, water, beans, rice, flour, dirt, pasta or oatmeal. They explore and distinguish textures by sifting, pouring, comparing, measuring and experimenting with a variety of materials. This also develops math concepts, weights, and comparisons.

The term emergent literacy is a better descriptor of this area. Writing does not wait for reading; the two are related, each influencing the other in the course of development. The primary role of this area is to introduce and support children’s experimentation with print. Print awareness depends on an environment rich in print. Children begin by scribbling and soon the drawings become more representational. Literacy learning proceeds naturally at this point as children construct their own knowledge into stories and print. Teachers assist children in developing reading and writing abilities by helping them produce narratives to go along with their pictures. Whether it is by modeling writing, encouraging print or spelling phonetically, children learn the power of the written word. This is an active process.